The Orchid's Keeper
by AvidReaderSimpleWriter
Summary: A dark young man spots a beautiful girl in a field alone, and decides that she will be his. However, he soon finds that force may not have been the way to go about things...HIATUS, BEING REWORKED
1. Preview

**Hello, all. **

**This is my very first story to ever even consider publishing. I know this is rather short, but it's just a mini preview of the story to come. So please, ****helpful criticism, and I would love reviews. **

**The Orchid's Keeper will be very loosely based off of the Greek myth of Hades and Persephone. Warning, their WILL most likely be some slight Out Of Characterness. I'm sorry, that's just the way it is. I will do my very best to keep them in some semblance of their original characters. **

**Main Pairing: Sasuke/Hinata**

**Side Pairings: Undetermined**

**Rating: M, just in case I decide to get a little heavy. ;)**

**Summary:** A dark young man spots a beautiful girl in a field alone, and decides that she will be his. However, he soon finds that force may not have been the way to go about things...

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><p>"It's b-beautiful! What is it?" Hinata asked, reaching to touch the smooth, blushing globe he held in his pale finger tips.<p>

"It's called a pomegranate. It's a fruit, very sweet, very beautiful." His spoke flatly, his words describing the ruby orb, though his thoughts lingered on his enchanting captive. Sasuke sat the pomegranate on the counter top, and with the nearest knife, cleaved the fruit cleanly in half. He peeled the waxy, white skin off one half, and held it out to her.

"Oh!" she gasped. "It's even p-prettier on the inside! Like little j-jewels." She reached out to touch the glittering seeds. The look on her face was…

Breath taking. Awe inspiring. Beauty in it its most simple, yet most complex form. His eyes slid downward along the slender, creamy expanse of throat, and with some strained self control, he brought them back up to her perfectly formed lips, velvety and rosebud pink. Finally, his eyes came to rest upon hers, and a pleasant, crimson blush swept over her porcelain cheeks. She looked away quickly, afraid to hold his gaze too long.

"Would you like to taste it?" He asked.

His voice was low, sultry, and seductive. Something foreign slid through her being, and came to rest thickly in her belly. She felt…heavy. She dared to glance up at him quickly, and noticed how brightly his deep, dark eyes were shining. She retracted her hand, as if burned, and the strange feeling in her stomach dissipated rapidly, replaced by a snake of fear. When she spoke, her voice was strangled, and she stuttered badly.

"N-no t-thank you, Sasuke-sama. I-I-I, am n-n-not very h-hungry. P-please excuse m-me." She bowed quickly, and scurried from the room like a frightened mouse.

Sasuke's anger roared to life. He would have shouted in frustration, but did not want her to hear him. He flung the offending fruit across the room, where it hit the wall with a wet thunk, red juice splattering across the walls like thin blood.

She had deflected him for the last time, that was most assured.

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><p><strong>So, there's that. Again, this isn't a chapter, just a preview. Please review! <strong>

**Thanks!**

**Avid. **


	2. Chapter One: A Girl

**Hey Guys!**

**Sorry it's been so long! Homework, classes, and extra-curriculars can REALLY get in the way of writing. **

**I will go ahead and say that I had a hard time getting the story started, and out of the many different concepts I came up with, this won out as the strongest. I'm sorry if you don't like it. Just a few notes, and then on with the chapter:**

**There is no Hanabi in my story. I'm sorry. I just couldn't get the concept to work out correctly with her character. Because of this, Hiashi Hyuuga automatically starts out slightly OOC. **

**Once you get to reading, you'll notice that this is pretty much Author's Universe. I'm pulling a few Naruto concepts, but for the most part, it's all original. **

**So, without further rambling, here ya go! :)**

**The Orchid's Keeper**

**Main Pairing: ****Sasuke/Hinata**

**Side Parings: ****Onesided Neji/Hinata, Undetermined**

**Rating: ****M, just in case I get a little heavy. ;)**

**Summary:**A dark young man spots a beautiful girl in a field alone, and decides she will be his. However, he soon finds that force may not have been the way to go about things….

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><p>It was cold. Had she left the window open again? Shivering, Hinata sat up, and looked at her window. Yes, she had left it open, again, and now the frosty winter weather was seeping into her room. Sighing, she got up, wincing when her feet hit the icy stone floor, and crossed to the gaping window. The sheer, lacy curtains billowed gracefully as she reached to pull the glass pane down. She had to stand on tiptoe, and it slid closed with a soft shushing sound. She stayed at the window for a moment, looking out over the gardens she kept so meticulously.<p>

A soft knock sounded at her door, followed by an equally muted voice. "Hinata-sama? Are you alright?".

Neji.

"Hai, Neji-nii-san. I am fine. I was just closing the window." she replied, moving to open the heavy, white-washed door.

Her cousin's handsome, though sleep-worn face appeared. His forehead was creased ever so slightly with the concern his flat white eyes seemed incapable of expressing. "Hinata-sama, you aren't sick again…are you?" His voice was laced with the barest hint of caution, and she couldn't help but giggle."

"Neji-nii-san. I am fine, I promise. I was looking out my window before I went to bed, and forgot to close it. I got cold, woke up, and closed it. That's it. Now, please, go back to sleep."

"Fine. I am right next door if you need me, Hinata-sama. Sleep well." He bowed to her, and returned to his room. She giggled again as she shut the door. Her sweet cousin, always so overly-vigilant.

Stepping as lightly as she possibly could, she gazed out of her window again, pleasantly surprised to see that a gentle snow was falling. She had loved the snow for as long as she could remember. Her fondest memories included playing in the Hyuuga gardens with her cousin, a guard watchful of her every move.

Hinata Hyuuga. Only daughter of Hiashi Hyuuga. Leader of the Hyuuga clan. The last of the legendary ninja of the Fire country.

The Hyuuga compound was a massive place, almost the size of a village itself, on the very outskirts of Konoha. For well over four hundred years, the Hyuuga clan had kept the village protected, well after the village had trained it's last ninja. With their world renowned bloodline, the clan had been able to establish themselves as a well-oiled business machine. They sent ninja on missions of low importance, high importance, and even to do battle in wars. Their numbers had climbed steadily as demand had increased, until the village and the Hyuuga compound had an almost equal population. Every baby born was trained tirelessly to be a more efficient fighter than the last. Well, most babies, that was.

One baby, born too early, with what seemed like paper skin and glass bones, had become the very heart of the clan. For seventeen years, she had grown under the close eye of the inner sanctum of the clan. She had developed from a sickly, fragile child, into a strong, delicate, and beautiful young woman. Her gentle spirit, sunny disposition, and general happiness towards everyone and everything had made the Hyuuga clan fiercely protective of her, a notion that was well known not only throughout the village and the country, but other countries as well.

She was, essentially, a moving target.

Sighing softly, she crept over to her bed, and pulled the now chilled blankets over herself, and allowed sleep to overtake her.

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><p>The forest was very silent, and very cold. Every living thing had either departed to somewhere warmer, or was burrowed away, prepared to sleep through the long, frosty winter.<p>

Sasuke's work, however, was never done.

Winter was always a busy time for him. Illnesses became worse, babies were born far too early, or far too weak, not to mention the number of sacrifices, attempting to "appease" him, so that he might "have mercy" upon them, and "save them." Please. He wasn't some frilly, dress wearing Greek god.

He was the King of the Underworld.

He didn't care how many virgins they offered, or how many dances they did, or the prayers they lifted. Because he was the King of the Underworld, a true _god_ in every sense of the word, he knew what was in their hearts, and their souls.

He knew that many of the "virgins" they sacrificed were disgraced women, with child, and without husband. He knew that many of the infants that died mysterious deaths had been smothered by mothers with too many little mouths to feed, but husbands who couldn't keep their hands to themselves. He understood the darkness that lived, bred, and rotted in every human being's heart, and while he chose to do nothing about it while they were living, he took true satisfaction in serving punishment in the Underworld.

Strolling through the early morning mists of the forests of the human realm had always been a secret pleasure of his. He enjoyed the peacefulness of the trees, especially in the dead of winter, when most were far to fearful to venture from home. He took the time to mull over things that his father would have disapproved of, his mother would have sighed over, and his brother would have looked down his nose upon.

He often thought of how he wouldn't have to ruling the Underworld if his brother hadn't…..but, it was much too late for regrets, and he couldn't exactly give the position up. It came with a lifetime guarantee.

If only he weren't immortal.

Although it must have been below freezing, Sasuke could barely feel the cold. He supposed it had something to do with the fifty-some odd years he had spent ruling the Underworld, in the blistering heat and freezing cold. Very rarely was his presence required in the "nice" part of the Underworld, where those who were granted eternal peace resided.

Sasuke spent all his time attempting to live up to the cold, callous image the pitiful creatures who worshipped him had created. He ruled with an iron-clad hand, and a rules-are-rules mentality. Which, of course, could just _occasionally_ be tinged with a bit of anger and unfairness.

As he came back to the clearing where he began his trek, he stopped. Noises. People. In _his _clearing. This thoroughly irritated him, and as he began to draw himself up into all his godly awe, he stopped dead.

Not people.

A girl.

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><p><strong>Yeah...it's pretty obvious who the girl is...<strong>

**Anyhow, please review, tell me what you think, good or bad, and if you have any questions or ideas, feel free to tell me! Also, a special thanks to a couple of reviewer (you know who you are) for the assistance and interaction. You guys really make my day! Thanks for reading, and I will do my best to update soon! **

**Please let me know if you prefer longer or shorter chapters. Shorter means more updates, but longer usually means better quality and content. :)**

**Thanks!**

**Avid. **


	3. Chapter Two: Details, Details

******Hello Hello. :)**

**I did my very best to make this chapter longer, and I'm halfway certain I succeeded! Now, I know, there is some GLARING OOC-ness in this chapter, on the part of one character in particular: Mr. Hiashi Hyuuga. Now, allow me to explain why...**

**In my AU, Hanabi is never born. If Hanabi is never born, there is never any need to compare Hinata and her lack of ninja skills to anyone other than Neji, and since Neji is a boy, and her protector, it doesn't really matter! Yay! Plus, the fact that he lost both his brother, wife, and baby daughter all in one year, would probably soften even Hiashi Hyuuga, just a teeny bit, making him realize how precious his (only) daughter really is. **

**So, hopefully, that clears that up. :)**

**Now, I just want to let you guys know, that as this story begins to write itself, it is going in an ENTIRELY different direction than what I had originally mapped out. But, I still think it'll turn out well, and I hope you guys will stick with me, because this is only the second chapter, and if you didn't, I would be just sort of sad and pathetic. :)**

**And now, I am done talking, I swear, and here is the second chapter of...**

**The Orchid's Keeper**

**Main Pairing: ****Sasuke/Hinata**

**Side Parings: ****Onesided Neji/Hinata, Undetermined**

**Rating: ****M, just in case I get a little heavy. ;)**

**Summary:**A dark young man spots a beautiful girl in a field alone, and decides she will be his. However, he soon finds that force may not have been the way to go about things….

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><p>She wasn't <em>much<em> of a girl. That was certain.

She was thin. Not at all like the curvy women he had grown accustomed to...entertaining. Her back was turned to him, and she was wearing a very heavy, fur-lined cape of a light violet shade. Even through all the coarse fabric he could see she was a little thing.

Fine-boned.

Delicate.

Where had those thoughts come from? He mentally checked himself, but remained silent, observing the young woman.

She couldn't be very much older than sixteen, seventeen at the most. She was far to slight to be any older. Who in their right mind had allowed such a little creature, a little _girl_ creature, to wander the forest alone? Didn't these fools know this clearing belonged to the god of the Underworld?

The girl was knelt in the snow, and the way her back was curved and her small movements indicated she was picking something, or tending something. A small sound to the right caused both the girl and Sasuke to turn. He was somewhat cursory of the fact that the thick fur lining still obscured his vision of her face.

A young man entered the clearing. He was very tall, and fair skinned, with long, dark brown hair tied back behind his shoulders. His features could be considered classically handsome, if not for the distinctly feminine tinge they had. The most unusual feature were his flat white eyes, void of all variety of emotion. He was dressed far less warmly than the young woman, in just a simple, plain white shirt and white linen pants. As the young woman stood, his the man's voice called to her.

"Hinata-sama, why are you out here alone? You know better than to wander off alone."

Hinata. A place in the sun. He mused to himself, wondering what had caused the girl's parents to deem her something like that.

"Neji-nii-san, I hardly wandered off. The gardens are right there!" The young woman answered, and her very voice caused something to twist inside of Sasuke. It was light, and thin, musical and delicate, like a hushed whisper across a ballroom aglow with candles.

Gods, what was wrong with him?

"Just because you can see the compounds doesn't mean that…" the young man, Nejo, or something like that, trailed off suddenly, and looked in his general direction. Sasuke inclined his head slightly. Had this mere mortal man, with no more than twenty years at most, sensed his presence?

"What is it, Neji-nii-san?" the girl asked, and the man hushed her. He muttered something under his breath, and veins appeared all around his eyes, as he moved to shield the girl.

It didn't matter. At that point, Sasuke was already long gone, off to find another entry point, down into his too hot, too cold, and too dark home.

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><p>Her cousin had been acting strange ever since the incident outside this morning. Yes, she understood that he was upset with her for "wandering off", but for goodness' sake, her window was visible from where she had been! And after all, she had been gathering a very important herb, that happened to grow only in the winter, and only in that clearing. She had pointed that out to Neji, who promptly pointed out that she hadn't taken a basket with her.<p>

Oh, well. You couldn't win them all, she supposed.

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><p>Hiashi heaved a silent sigh, and did his best to pay attention to what an elder was saying.<p>

Hiashi knew that tonight's conversation would very soon take a turn for the worse, and probably land on the subject of his only daughter's marriage.

His nephew, Neji didn't like it one bit. Hinata chalked it up to his over-protectiveness, but Hiashi knew better. He knew what his young nephew's intentions with his only daughter were, and he couldn't very well say he disapproved. After all, if he married Hinata off to someone else, say in the Aburame clan, or perhaps even the Inuzuka clan, Neji would be the one to rule the clan after Hiashi's demise. If he was good enough for that duty, why could he also not be good enough to marry his daughter?

Hinata, on the other hand, would probably have something to say otherwise. It was a topic she hoped to avoid, but, unfortunately, the Fates were against her, and Hiashi alike.

"So, Lord Hiashi-sama. What is the latest on the situation of Lady Hinata-sama's marital status?" an elderly man, Hachiro asked. Hinata flushed immediately, and Hiashi watched as Neji became on guard instantly, his face tight as he listened from his station behind Hinata.

"Lady Hinata has just barely come of age, Hachiro-san. I see no reason to go marrying her off instantly. We have had several young suitors, but finding the right young man for the Hyuuga heiress is very important, as I am sure you realize." Hiashi said quickly, smoothing things over for both his embarrassed daughter and his visibly disturbed nephew.

Neji's face relaxed, and he placed a hand on his cousin's shoulder. Although the gesture was purely innocent on her part, when she laced her fingers through his, a small, nearly invisible smirk appeared on Neji's and several of the council members took notice immediately.

Just because they were old, didn't make them oblivious.

However, Hiashi didn't want the elders getting the wrong idea, just yet. He needed to make sure that the elders fully understood the situation between the two, before getting any notions in their slightly soft heads.

"Daughter, Neji-san. You are dismissed. Thank you for attending." He dismissed them quickly, and the two young people bowed, and as was custom, Hinata exited first, then Neji followed. When the shoji screen had slid into place, the same outspoken old man from before posed the obvious question.

"Lord Hiashi-sama, what precisely is the nature of Neji-san and Lady Hinata-sama's relationship?" his tone was slightly impudent, and several other elders murmured about the two teens.

"Lord Hachiro. I do not need to reiterate my comment from before, I know. Yes, Neji-san _is_ a possible marriage match for the Lady, but he is not the only one. A certain Inuzuka, the young Lord Kiba, has recently come to my attention. The relationship between this clan and that could use a bit of…reconditioning, you could say. Not to mention that several affluent young men have expressed interest. We are in no rush to marry off our heiress. There will be no further discussion on the subject, and that decision is final. Now, if you would all turn your attention to the financial matter of the latest mission, you will see that…."

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><p>She was very glad the meeting was over, for her at least. She always did her best to pay attention, and stay alert in what occurred in her clan, but occasionally, it was too much. Not to mention, she was sort of hoping to slip out tonight, to tend the garden a little. Nothing relaxed her more than tending the beautiful gardens her mother had guided her through at a very young age. The gardens were all she had left of the beautiful woman, save for a ghostly photograph and an antique hairbrush set.<p>

Neji had walked her to her room, then bowed, dismissing himself, as was their evening ritual. She knew he would stay awake, and possibly in the hallway, until he saw her light click out, and heard her settle into her bed. She sighed lightly, and decided to make life just a bit easier on him, and coincidentally, herself, by simply staying in. Instead, she contented herself with staring out of her open window while brushing out her long, straight indigo hair.

Lately, she had become very wistful, it seemed. She had always been very quiet, but now even she thought she was too silent. Her old nurse, dear Hanako-chan, said that she was becoming a young woman, and that this would pass in time….but Hinata wasn't certain. She always felt like something was missing…like she could be of much better use somewhere else.

She had always wondered what would have become of her, had she been born healthy, or had her baby sister and mother lived. Would she have been of better use to the clan, as more than a simple charm to decorate some man's arm?

Could she have possibly become clan leader?

Shaking her head softly, she walked over to her dressing table, to lay the silver filigree brush down , next to its matching mirror and comb. She glanced at herself in the large, oval glass she kept over the table, and sighed softly.

She looked nothing like her father, whose fair skin seemed to have a light yellow tinge. She also didn't have his deep brown hair, or his simple white eyes. His features were all so clean, and classically cut, too. The only thing she seemed to have inherited from him was his name. But, then again, she also didn't look much like her mother. Hana Hyuuga had been a great beauty, very womanly, with perfect feminine features, and perfect feminine curves. Her eyes had been large, her nose petite, but not overly small, and her mouth had a perpetual curve that some found impertinent. Her eyes had been a very faint blue, a defect caused on her grandmother's side.

Hinata had large eyes, but they sometimes seemed to large for her thin, heart shaped face. Doe eyes, Hanako-chan called them. Bug eyes were what cruel children had sometimes teased her with. Her eyes weren't the paper white of her father, nor the pale blue of her mother, but a pearly lavender that some found lovely, and others found off-putting. Her nose was very straight, like her father's, but was thin like her mother's. It didn't have the delicate upper curve of Hana's, and she found it to be rather average. Her mouth, though full, was very pale, and she didn't particularly like the shape of her lips.

Over all, with her very fair skin, and what she deemed an odd face, Hinata had never considered herself a very attractive young woman. She was far too thin to be considered a beauty of her day, but far to plain to be exotic.

Or, so she thought.

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><p>The man before him, like so many before <em>him<em>, was certain there had been a mistake. Surely he didn't belong _here,_ in the Hellish part of the Underworld. Surely Sasuke could show _him _some mercy?

Or not.

Sasuke signed the scroll the scantily clad demoness held out to him, damning the man to an eternity of starvation on a hot, dry mountainside, exactly in the conditions he had forced his wife to leave five infant daughters, and one son that had been slightly disfigured.

Sasuke hadn't even bothered to say a few words about what a waste of space the man was, for his thoughts were elsewhere. Back in a snowy clearing, where he was trying to recall if he had seen even a glimpse of an eye, or the plane of a cheekbone, or even the tip of a nose of the mysterious girl in lavender.

Several of his assistants had noticed his distractedness, but none had been brave enough to ask. All day long, he had done nothing but sign scrolls of damnation, brimstone, and hellfire.

How very cliché.

Finally, he decided that the most logical thing to do, would be to return to the human world tomorrow, find the girl, get a good long look at her, and then leave well enough alone.

She was probably ugly, anyhow.

Probably.

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><p><strong>Alright guys, that concludes Chapter Two! Thank you so, so much to all of you who reviewed, and if you have any questions, concerns, or comments, feel more than free to let me know, and I will do my very best to respond, even if it takes me forever. <strong>

**Please review, I live for it! And everyone have a lovely Christmas. :)**

**Thanks! **

******Avid. **


	4. Chapter Three: A Virtuous Girl

**Hey guys! Surprised to see me again so soon? Haha. Me too, believe me. I know it's only been a day, but I couldn't resist posting this today, because I really enjoyed writing this chapter. I hope you guys enjoy reading it, too! I want to thank all of you that have been reviewing, it really means a lot to me. :) So, I'm done rambling for today, and here is...**

**The Orchid's Keeper**

**Main Pairing: ****Sasuke/Hinata**

**Side Parings: ****Onesided Neji/Hinata, Undetermined**

**Rating: ****M, just in case I get a little heavy. ;)**

**Summary:**A dark young man spots a beautiful girl in a field alone, and decides she will be his. However, he soon finds that force may not have been the way to go about things…

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><p>Hiashi sighed, and placed his head lightly in his hands. This meeting was not going to be a very pleasant one, and he had hoped to avoid it for sometime yet. However, the recent…pressure about Hinata's marital status from the elders, was forcing Hiashi's hand much sooner than he would have liked. And now, he was going to have a very awkward conversation with his young nephew.<p>

Hiashi straightened up, and schooled his face into the classic Hyuuga mask, making sure his white eyes were blank as well. His nephew stood in the doorway, waiting to be given permission to enter. Although the Hyuuga clan had advanced in many ways, Neji was still of a lower station, and they still had to put on the act for the benefit of the elders.

"Lord Hiashi-sama. You called for me." Neji stated, his face a perfect mask as well.

"I did. Come in, nephew, and have a seat."

He entered the room, and slid the screen shut. When he was seated, he performed the traditional bow, and Hiashi inclined his head, indicating Neji could sit up. With a back ram-rod straight, and his stoic expression, there was no doubt in Hiashi's mind that Neji would make a wonderful clan leader one day.

"Lord Hiashi-sama. The messenger said that the meeting was very urgent. May I ask what the matter is? Is there something wrong with Lady Hinata-sama?" Neji asked quickly, and Hiashi was able to detect the fleeting emotion that flashed across Neji's pale eyes at the thought of Hinata's well-being.

"No, nephew. My daughter is fine. It is you I am concerned for." Hiashi watched as Neji's forehead wrinkled slightly, before smoothing back out seamlessly.

"I'm sure you recall the meeting a week ago, when Hachiro-san brought up the subject of a marriage for my daughter," he began, and Neji stiffened very visibly. "Hachiro-san has managed to convince a few other elders that the sooner Hinata-san is married, the better. I cannot say that I agree, but as they are the Council, I am being forced to agree to at least…entertain the notion." he finished uncomfortably.

Although Neji's face and body language had not shifted, the tension in the room had increased dramatically.

"Nephew, I would have to be very incompetent to not to be able to see the feelings you hold for my daughter. I do not disapprove. You are strong, very capable of protecting her, and a marriage to you would mean she would remain in this clan, which is something that most, if not all, of our people would rejoice over." A small smirk had snaked its way onto Neji's handsome face.

"However." It disappeared just as quickly as it had come.

"Another young man, of very high clan and village standing, has made his interest in Hinata-san very…known. He is the heir to his clan, and also a very strong, capable man. He has convinced the Hokage of Konoha that a marriage would be within the best interest of the village, and she, in turn, has contacted the Council, without notifying me. Because of this, they have become convinced that this young man would be the perfect match. I can't say I disagree entirely. He is a bit...wild, and slightly…uncouth, but he is of very good standing, very powerful, and his clan used to be well known as shinobi-"

"Lord Hiashi-sama, do not tell me that this man is-"

"I mentioned him very briefly at the meeting." Hiashi interrupted, and his nephew's reaction was to be expected.

"Inuzuka Kiba." The embittered young man spat out, disgusted at the vile taste the name left in his mouth.

"Precisely."

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><p>"Again, Lady Hinata-sama. Lord Hiashi-sama will be sorely disappointed if you cannot master this art properly, as is fitting of a lady of your station." the older woman quipped, handing her young pupil the heavy, ornately decorated fan.<p>

Hinata sighed. She had been doing this repetitive, ridiculous dance for at least an hour. Her father had decided since she was incapable of being a ninja like the rest of the family, she would become the perfect young lady, a beautiful, shiny figurehead for the Hyuuga.

Dancing classes, singing classes, painting, sewing, cooking, and even harp lessons. She was so well cultured that she could most likely single-handedly preserve the Japanese culture. She was a decent dancer, her natural grace lending her aid. Her singing voice was quite thin, and wavery, but her isntructor promised her that she was a decent soprano. Painting, sewing and the harp, however, were different stories. Her pictures weren't dreadful, they just weren't good. Her stitches were large, and sort of crooked, and she was hopeless at the harp.

Cooking was in an entire league of its own. She was truly nothing short of a chef. She supposed it had something to do with the fact that she adored cooking, because it was an art that pleased others greatly. Dancing was beautiful, and singing lovely, but the happy feelings left by perfectly prepared onigiri were much more far reaching and long lasting.

"Lady Hinata-sama! Pay attention. Ready…begin! One, two, three, one, two, three…" the woman droned, and Hinata sluggishly repeated the dance again. When she dropped the fan for what seemed the hundredth time, the dance teacher sighed sharply.

"Alright, Lady Hinata-sama. That's enough for today. I don't feel we are going to make any true progress if your wrists are as rubbery as they are anyhow. We'll meet again Thursday, and I expect your full attention."

"Hai, Maiko-san. I will do my best to improve." Hinata responded, happily handing over the ridiculous props.

"See that you do." Maiko retorted, before bowing, and leaving the room.

Hinata was thrilled to have a few hours left to herself, as everyone was expecting her lesson to last at the very least another hour more.

She loved her cousin dearly, but sometimes he was very….oppressive. Not to mention that all day long she had had the strangest urge to go back to the clearing, even though she had gathered plenty of the special plants she had needed yesterday. Something was just calling to her, and it wasn't as if it would be dangerous, anyhow.

She hurried, as silently and sneakily as possible, to get her favorite cloak from her room, before heading out toward the forest.

This time, she did not forget her basket.

* * *

><p>He was in the forest again. He had decided to go ahead and keep true to the decision he had made the day before, in hopes that it would ease the strange feelings swirling through him regarding that girl.<p>

He hadn't even bothered attempting to rest the previous night. He had continued to pass judgments all night and day, trying to keep himself preoccupied before his visit to the clearing. After all, he didn't even know if she would be there, and it wasn't as if he knew where she lived…except…

Something she had said the day before, in her quiet, bell-like voice.

"_Neji-nii-san, I hardly wandered off. The gardens are right there!"_

If her gardens were right there, surely her window would be….

Why was he even bothering thinking such things? He was a god. He could march right up to their front door, and without so much as a 'how do', could take the very girl that was causing him so much strife.

Except Sasuke Uchiha, god of the Underworld, did not 'march.'

That would just be ridiculous.

His lips twitched slightly at the thought of marching, and had he been anyone else, he probably would have laughed. As it was, a smile meant the hottest parts of the Underworld would probably freeze over. It was cold enough as it was, no need to add more ice to the mixture.

He arrived at the same spot from which he had spotted the girl yesterday, and was irritated to find that the clearing was empty, yesterday's tracks covered with fresh snow. He snarled slightly, angry that she wasn't there, and turned to leave, when he heard humming, and felt a familiar presence.

Light. Sweet. Pleasant.

Her humming wasn't that bad either. He watched her enter the clearing, still covered by that damnable fur-lined hood. Today, she had a basket in her hands, which were covered in heavy mittens, the same color as her cloak. She returned to what seemed like exactly the same spot as yesterday, and knelt on the ground. It was plain to him today that she was gathering some type of plant.

He was content to watch her like that for what seemed an eternity, but could truly only have been fifteen minutes. Sasuke wondered where the young man from yesterday was. It had been very obvious that the boy had desired this girl. However, it had not been as obvious whether or not she desired him in return. Finally, he decided to speak to her, and perhaps he would be able to see her face.

"You know, virtuous young women do not typically wander about in forests unattended. It can be very…dangerous."

* * *

><p>She had strolled happily into her favorite meadow, humming a pretty tune her music instructor had taught her the previous week. It was something silly, about a canary being watched by a cat, until one day the cat got too close, and well….the rest was generally sort of unappealing to sweet, gentle Hinata.<p>

She had successfully dodged two guards, but had to bribe one. Sweet little Hedeki, who was always afraid he was going to get caught letting Hinata out. However, a promise of fresh cinnamon buns had quickly silenced his meek protests, and out on her little adventure she had gone.

The forest was very quiet, and fresh snow had fallen during the night, covering everything in a beautiful white blanket. It was easy, however, to find the plants she was looking for, as they grew under only one particular type of tree. She settled down immediately beneath one, and began shifting through the snow in search of the plant. She still hummed quietly to herself, but every now and again, she would hear very faint snatches of the last few birds in the forest.

Before long, she began to feel strange.

Almost like she was being watched.

She ignored it for a while, but after just a few more minutes, the feeling became more intense, and more than a little frightening. Perhaps she shouldn't have come out without Neji after all…

Again, she tried to ignore the feeling, but it grew still heavier, making her feel more and more like a trapped bird. Finally, she had made the decision to get up and leave, when she heard it.

"You know, virtuous young women do not typically wander about in forests unattended. It can be very…dangerous."

* * *

><p><strong>Yay! They finally meet. <strong>

**Well, almost. Haha. **

**Okay guys, you know what to do. Please, please, please review. Feel free to ask questions, and point out my flaws, because I know they're there!**

**One more thing. :) Someone asked me if it was okay to draw pictures for my story. The answer will ALWAYS be absolutely, yes! I would love nothing more than for someone to draw pictures, because I suck eggs at drawing. Other than that, thank you so much for reading, and like I said before, please review! **

**Also, would it be TOO awful if I posted chapter four tonight? ;) **

**Thanks!**

**Avid. **


	5. Chapter Four: Hope

**Hi! Sorry it took a while. This chapter was hard to write! I like it though, and I really hope you guys do as well! Again, apologies for OOCness, I try to avoid it, but I am new at this whole thing. I also do my best to check spelling, grammar, and word usage, so if you spot something that seems incorrect, please, _please_ let me know. :) I do not currently have a beta, but if you are interested, feel free to tell me! And now, on to...**

**The Orchid's Keeper**

**Main Pairing: ****Sasuke/Hinata**

**Side Parings: ****Onesided Neji/Hinata, Undetermined**

**Rating: ****M, just in case I get a little heavy. ;)**

**Summary:**A dark young man spots a beautiful girl in a field alone, and decides she will be his. However, he soon finds that force may not have been the way to go about things…

* * *

><p>His voice had poured over her like molten velvet. At the age of seventeen, Hinata had never even had more than a friendly hug from the opposite sex, and never, ever had she heard any boy, or man, with a voice like that. She stayed where she was though, too afraid to turn around. She felt cornered, like a rabbit, regardless of how…attractive the man's voice was.<p>

"Your family must not be very worried about your virtue, to let you wander about like this." He said, and her heart beat quickened again.

"M-my f-f-amily has n-never h-h-had cause to b-be concerned over m-my," she swallowed heavily, terrified of saying the wrong thing to this stranger. "Virtue."

The last word came out a strangled whisper, and she sensed his presence drawing closer to her.

"Well…we just might have to teach them a lesson…won't we?" he purred, seemingly closer than even the moment before.

She squeaked slightly, an indignant blush rising to her fair cheeks. It was a very good thing he couldn't see her, because her shock far betrayed her brave words.

"I d-don't mean to b-be rude, sir, but you shouldn't address a l-lady in such a f-f-fashion, especially one you h-hardly know. It is very forward, and quite r-rude." she said, voice still shaky, but her tone completely serious.

The forest fell silent, and for a moment, the only sound was from her slightly accelerated breathing. And then, all of the sudden, he was laughing. At her!

His laughter was loud, rich and heavy. She would have enjoyed the sound of it, had the circumstances been different, and, more importantly, had it not been at her expense. A small wave of anger replaced her fear, and she rose to her feet sharply. Still not turning to look at him, she shook the snow and cold from her cloak and kimono layers, and retrieved her basket from the ground. She knew she could be tempting the Fates by walking away from this strange man, but perhaps they would be on her side….

But it became clearly evident they were not when his laughter was cut short, and she felt a heavy hand on her shoulder. Even through the fur-lined cape, her heavy winter kimono and her cotton chemise, she could feel how very cold his hands were. It felt as if a thick block of ice was resting on her shoulder.

"P-please. Let go of me." she managed to say without stumbling over her words too much.

"And just _where_ do you think you're going?" he replied, his voice low and sultry again.

"Home. I am g-going home." She tried to remove his hand by giving a small shake, but his grip was tight, and making her more uncomfortable by the second.

"How very rude. I thought you were a lady. Wouldn't a _lady_ introduce herself to a…gentleman?" he asked his voice cold and emotionless, all traces of seduction and slight mirth gone.

Her bravery had returned, and her typical diplomatic sense, the one her father had been teaching her for years, reawakened within her.

"I am a lady. And for you to suggest otherwise simply proves the fact that there is no gentleman present in this forest." she retorted smoothly, her face a cool mask. Not that it mattered. He still had yet to catch even a glimpse of her. He had had enough of her impudence, apparently, for he snarled, and turned her to face him. She was about to snap at him, until she got a proper look at him.

Handsome.

Goodness, but he was _handsome._ She wasn't even certain if that could be a strong enough word to describe him. It would have been a disappointment, she supposed, if he had been anything but, with a voice like that. But then, he wasn't a disappointment in the slightest.

He must have been at least a head and half taller than her, and taller maybe than even Neji. His heavy, leather clad hand still rested on her small shoulders, and his face was very concentrated on her own. She would have blushed had she not been so enraptured by his features.

He had smooth, inhumanly ivory skin, visible only from the throat upward, for he was covered foot to fingertip in black. His face seemed to have been carved from marble. Everything about him spoke of sternness and sensuality, from his full, hard mouth to his slightly mischievous brows. His long, rakish hair curled slightly about the collar of his black mantle and gently brushed the broad planes of his cheekbones. His eyes were unlike any she had ever seen before…red. Blood red. On anyone else she suspected they would have been frightening, but on him they were…intriguing. The hollows underneath his crimson eyes spoke volumes of his lifetime. Too much work, too much cruelty, too much death, despair and destruction, and too little sleep.

She didn't understand how such a beautiful man could be ever become so tired. Surely he had people that worked for him?

She was frozen in speechlessness until he moved his hands ever so slowly up to her hood, which he pushed back gently, revealing her hair. She immediately felt the icy bite of the chill wind upon her cheeks, although it was nothing compared to the cold that settled in her chest. She hesitated to speak, but was compelled to ask, as he rested one hand upon her cheek.

"I…I…who _are_ you?"

* * *

><p>She was far more beautiful than any pathetic image his mind could have bothered to conjure, and any notion that she might have been ugly was immediately extinguished.<p>

Beneath the heavy blond fur of her lavender cape was a lovely, snow white face, so exquisite, and so unlike anything or anyone he had seen before. All of the young women he had consorted with before had been so dark, and so…busty. It was plain she was neither. Her features were very fine, like china, her nose delicate in the center of her face, her pale, curvaceous mouth perfectly molded. Her eyes, however, were most arresting, the color unusual, and verging on being large enough to be considered obscene. They were pupil less, and he would have thought her blind if he hadn't known better. The color was a translucent, pearly lavender, framed by thick indigo lashes, under naturally thin, arched brows of the same color.

His hand had rested upon her shoulder, but the curiosity of what her hair looked like had caused him to raise it to her hood. As gently as he could, he pushed it back over her head, until it fell back of its own accord. Her hair must have been very long, and tucked down inside her robe, except for the deep, almost-black purple fringe that framed her face.

He found he wanted to remove his heavy gloves, wanted to touch her with his bare hands, wanted to feel her, wanted to _claim_ her. He settled in-between his rash thoughts, and rested one hand on her cheek, and before he could even crush the thought, he spoke it.

"I…I…who _are_ you?" his tone was one of wonder, and although deeply concentrated on her, he could feel her confusion.

"Who am _I? _Who are _you?"_ she returned, and pulled away from his hand. He had been able to feel her warmth, even through the gloves, and though it had initially distracted him, he was brought sharply back to reality by her question.

Was this mortal girl serious? Did she really lack the knowledge of who he, Lord of the Underworld, really was?

Didn't she ever go to school?

"You mean to tell me that you do not know who I am?" he demanded, and he immediately regretted the fact that he sounded slightly shocked, and more than a little childish.

"O-of course I d-don't. Should I?" she questioned, looking boldly into his face. She didn't seem to be as scared as before, but the stutter still shook her voice.

There had been no stutter when she spoke to Nanji, or whatever his name had been.

And there it was again! A thought that should not have been anywhere in his mind! A petty, _human_ thought, consumed with a petty, human emotion. Sasuke did _not_ absolutely _ever_ get jealous. Especially not of a man that was clearly so effeminate.

"Of course you should know who I am. I am Sasuke." He told her simply, and waited for her to fall to her knees, and beg his mercy.

Naturally, imagine his surprise when instead, her brows knit together, and she replied with "Sasuke? Sasuke what?" confusion evident in her large, pearly eyes. He found this to be very tedious, and opened his mouth once more to further explain to her exactly _who_ he was, when a thought struck him.

She didn't know who he was.

More importantly, she didn't know _what_ he was.

This beautiful young girl, this delicate little bird, had no earthly clue that she was speaking with the proverbial King of Hell. This tiny creature, that made him feel so strange inside, that consumed his thoughts when he had seen nothing but her lavender cloak, that made him feel so absolutely _human _after more than a century, had no idea what he had done, what he would have to do, and what it had made him.

Suddenly, there was a glimmer of hope for something normal in his life, something he had craved long ago, during his own mortal past.

A glimmer of hope for something that was good, and beautiful, and womanly, and kind, and…everything he had given up on.

"Sasuke. It is all you need to know, for now." he said suddenly, and it was very easy to see that his entire body language and tone of voice had changed. She started to speak, but he interrupted her quickly.

"Do not fear me. I promise not to harm you. I just wanted to meet you. I saw you here yesterday, with that man, and I realized that…we will soon be neighbors. I am building a manor on the other side of the woods. I was wandering about yesterday, and heard the two of you. I would have approached you then, but you seemed…in a rush." He lied smoothly.

He hadn't even had to bother thinking out his story, it just flowed through his lips.

And why not?

Why couldn't he be anything more than a handsome Lord, in a manor, in the woods? He wasn't demonic-looking by any standards, and the rest of the humans always seemed to get that wrong. That probably had very much to do with the fact that she hadn't recognized him the first place. And he supposed Sasuke was a common enough name. After all, it wasn't as if his parents hadn't been humans when they christened him, right?

Granted, that had been well over fifty years ago…

"O-oh. Well, I don't recall my f-father mentioning anyone moving in close to us."

"I haven't really told anyone yet. I should probably arrange a meeting with my future…neighboring Lord." he glanced over her shoulder, his enhanced hearing picking up the fact that someone was headed their way.

"I suppose I must be going. I do apologize for any initial…rudeness…and I would like to meet again. Until then, Lady…" he trailed off, surprised at himself even, in the sudden personality switch.

"U-um, Hinata Hyuuga. B-but I don't think m-meeting again is a v-very go-" she began hesitantly, but he didn't give her the time to refuse."

"Very well, until another time, Lady Hinata." He finished, bowed shortly, and turned to leave. His timing was, as always, impeccable, because the person entered the other side of the clearing, providing the girl with a distraction. He made his "escape" but lit in a tree, intent on studying whoever it was that had come to retrieve this girl.

Unfortunately, it was that boy again, Nonnni. Or whatever.

* * *

><p>She had been very startled by his sudden change in demeanor. At first he had been…seductive and sultry, and then odd and sort of angry, and then, a perfect gentleman. That had only happened after he had stared at her for a moment, and she had seen something in his eyes…<p>

Just as the strange man, Sasuke, was leaving, a voice snapped her out of her reverie.

"Lady Hinata-sama. Everyone has been very worried. When Maiko-san came and told Lord Hiashi-sama she was leaving more than half an hour early, we tried to locate you. Why did you come out here again, unattended?" Neji scolded her, his white eyes focused intently on her.

Sometimes, when her beloved cousin's eyes lingered on her, she felt a bit uncomfortable. She blushed, and pulled her hood up, before stooping to gather the basket that had lain at her feet, all but forgotten this whole time.

"I-I needed more of the Winter's Bane I collected yesterday. I didn't collect quite enough for my medicines, and j-just thought that I could slip out before anyone noticed…" she trailed off, cursing the stutter that possibly gave away an otherwise flawless lie.

Neji's eyes narrowed slightly, but after a few calculating seconds, his expression changed, and he took her basket from her.

"You know how I feel about this, Hinata-chan." He whispered lightly, and again she felt the chilled fingers of discomfort at the base of her neck.

"Nii-san, it is nothing to worry about. I apologize, and will remember to plant some Winter's Bane this spring so I will not have to wander so far to retrieve it in the future. Please forgive me." She replied demurely, glancing down to her snow-covered boots. The edge of her soaking cloak became very interesting all of the sudden, before Neji broke the slightly awkward silence.

"Of course, Lady Hinata-sama. Now, let us go back indoors, before you catch your death." he said briskly, and began ushering her back towards the compound gardens. Just as they were at the cusp of the woods, she glanced back, and thought once more of the strange, very handsome, and very forward young man she had met not moments ago.

She didn't notice the deep, red eyes, watching attentively in the tree above where she had stood.

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><p><strong>There it is. :) Please tell me if you liked it. And, while I'm not fond of being told you hate it, if you do, tell me why, such as "Your layout is weird," cause it totally is, and "You just can't write" and so on. I am very eager to improve. Also, thank you so very much to everyone that does review. You guys make my day! And, one more thing! The lovely xLiLMeLo has drawn a gorgeous picture of Hinata in honor or my story! :D You can check it out on her deviantArt account, by the same name. :) <strong>

**Again, please review, and if you hate it, tell me why. :)**

**Thanks guys!**

**Avid. **


	6. Chapter Five: The Howling

**Hey guys! Nice to see you again! Sorry about the gaps, but I have so much nonsense going on, and I'm afraid it's only going to get worse. :/ But, please don't give up on me! I pinkie swear that I will find a regular way to update. I'm thinking ever Sunday will probably be my update day!**** I love all of you guys so much for reviewing, reading, alerting, EVERYTHING you guys do that makes my heart all fluttery! I especially want to thank Pop, for pointing out that it's redundant to say Lady/Lord, AND Sama, so I will stop. Haha. I am also going to work on going back through and fixing it in previous chapters, as well as working harder on checking my spelling, flow, and so on. Sorry this is a bit shorter than usual, and I must warn you, it's only from one person's point of view this time! However, I think it gives a nice little breather from all the point of view switching! And, just a brief reminder of ages: Neji-18/19, Hinata-17, and Sasuke-ridiculously old, but technically between 17/21. Okay? Okay! So, without another word from this Chatty Cathy, on to….**

**The Orchid's Keeper**

**Main Pairing: ****Sasuke/Hinata**

**Side Parings: ****Onesided Neji/Hinata, Undetermined**

**Rating: ****M, just in case I get a little heavy. ;)**

**Summary:**A dark young man spots a beautiful girl in a field alone, and decides she will be his. However, he soon finds that force may not have been the way to go about things…

* * *

><p>It had been at over a week since she had met the mysterious man in the woods. In those seven days, she had been allowed to go absolutely nowhere alone, and almost every spare second she had to herself was spent worrying over the way Neji was acting. When she had asked him about it, however, he had brushed her off, assuring her it was nothing.<p>

"Do not worry about me, Hinata-sama. It is nothing of your concern, and it should ever come to it, I shall of course tell you. But, for now, please, just focus on your training." He smiled at her gently, but the smile had not reached his eyes.

She lay in bed, thinking it all over slowly. She didn't usually have trouble sleeping, but here it was, early enough in the morning to still be dark, and she was wide awake. Ever since meeting Sasuke, he had really been all she had thought about, aside from Neji. She really hadn't even minded when her father had scolded her for going out unattended. It made her feel uneasy and slightly fluttery at the same time. She laid her hand lightly on her abdomen, remembering the strange feelings that had slid through her that day. She had never had a reaction like that to any other man.

But, then again, she really only knew her family members. She had never been allowed to play with the village children, didn't attend the village academy, and aside from very small excursions, had never truly left the walls of Hyuuga compound.

Sighing, she got out of bed, and decided to go ahead and begin her day with a hot bath. Perhaps the steam would clear her head, or at the very least she might fall asleep in the warm water.

She got out of bed slowly, knowing that her cousin would very soon be awake, and wanting to escape to the steamy paradise that served as her personal bathroom across the hall before he could as her his daily barrage of questions. She executed her morning routine as quickly as possible, stripping her bed, which she did solely to make the maid's job easier, drawing her curtains, and shifting into her thin cotton and lace robe. Always being properly clothed for a young woman befitting her station and age, Hiashi had a very strict dress code he enforced for his only daughter, including the floor length, heavy cotton night dresses, that covered everything from her throat to her wrists. They were hot, and itchy, but they kept her father happy, and it truly was a simple request.

She crossed over to her window, where she had left her warm slippers the evening before. She gazed for a small, wistful, moment out at the forest. There were no meadows that she conceivably see a manor being built in, nor had she seen or heard her father discussing a new neighbor, much less a new, young lord. But, then, she was a young woman, and her father hardly had to talk such things over with her, as they really were none of her business. At least, they currently were not. She still had two years before officially beginning her "Head of Clan" training. Then, she would have a year of being an unofficial second in command, and then….she would be the head of the clan.

But, two years was an awfully long time, after all.

The clan elders could have her married off in six months, much less two years.

Her heart gave a sudden, odd twist at the thought of being married. She really didn't feel ready for that…marriage. But those were the laws, set in place specifically for cases such as her own.

The oldest of laws stated that in the event that the current head could produce only daughters, the clan elders had until the eldest daughter was twenty-one to marry her off. If they were successful in finding her a husband, then the next in line would be married off as well, continuing in this fashion until no daughters were left, and the next head could be appointed, but most importantly **male**_**.**_ However, on the other hand, if the elders failed to marry the daughters, then they would assume their birth-right duties.

So far, no woman had ever been able to keep her hold on the clan. Only one woman had come very close, in the early years of the clan.

Hanna Hyuuga had been just two months shy of her twenty-first birthday when a marriage was hurriedly arranged between herself and some man from a bordering country. She had done her very best to delay the impending nuptials, but, in the end, the elders had received their way.

As it always had been in the Hyuuga clan.

Hinata was very certain of one thing. She was sure she would not be the very best candidate to be the very first ever female clan leader. Not that she thought there was really a possibility of that. Not truly, anyhow.

She turned away from the window, and made to go to her door.

But she stopped.

It was very cold, and she could feel it settling around her shoulders, just as she had as soon as she had risen from bed. But, for some reason, she turned back to her window, and with hands that shook ever so slightly, she lifted her window. The heavy wood creaked slightly, and she couldn't recall it ever having done so previously.

She hesitantly waited, as the cold rushed its way into her room, billowing through her lace curtains, swirling through her midnight-deep hair, and brushing across her skirt hems. She shivered slightly, and, without really considering her reasoning, she leaned out of her window slightly, just enough for her long tresses to sweep the outer wall.

She waited for the space a single breath, and then heard it.

On the wind, coming from far off, was a slight keening…almost like a howl.

The fine hair on her neck stood up, as the sound rose and fell, like a terrifying, slightly mournful song. She drew back into her room, and slid the window shut as quickly as she could. A shiver raced down her spine, and she imagined she could still hear the howl inside. She knew it wasn't so, but couldn't help the fear that spread heavily in her heart.

She walked decidedly across her room, determined to take her nice, hot bath, and forget entirely about the strange howling.

However, she couldn't resist, and when she reached her door, she looked back over her shoulder, her hair whispering across her robed shoulders.

All that met her eyes was a peaceful, dark scene. It was still early enough for the moon to be out, but the sky was lightened ever so slightly at the edges. The moon cast a beautiful shine across the snow, and she sighed in relief.

On the other hand, she wasn't entirely certain what it was she had expected to see.

* * *

><p><strong>There it is! Sorry, I know it's a bit shorter than usual, which is kinda sad, considering my chapters don't tend to be too long. Haha! Any how, I just wanna thank all of you guys who have given me any sorta feedback, including storyauthor alerts, and everything! I know I said it earlier, but I cannot say it enough! You guys literally make my day. Now that I've buttered you all up, here's where I beg: Please, please please! Review! Just three little words can make this author's day! And, as always, CONSTRUCTIVE criticism is appreciated. AAANNND, a cookie AND a hug for anyone that can tell me where this chapter's title comes from, musically. :)**

**I love you guys! Please review! :)**

**Avid. **


	7. Chapter Six: Part One

**Hey guys! So, I kind of suck at the whole"I'm gonna update on this day!" kinda thing...so I think, for now, I will stick to updating randomly. Sorry. :/ **

**Anyway, originally, I was going to just post one big, long chapter, but that kind of goes against my natural flow, so I decided to break it into two seperate chapters. I swear, on my life, the second half WILL be up before Monday. I have been suffering from some writer's block, and this chapter helped me to write through it, so if it's a bit choppy, I apologize. **

**Also, guys, I have an awful habit of leaving out words when I get going, so if you notice, LET ME KNOW so I can fix it. **

**And one more thing. I swear guys, I don't just post anything. Even if it seems like nothing is going on in the chapter, it is not a filler chapter. You just have to read between the lines a little. :)**

**Thank you! That's it for now, and as always, I hope you enjoy this chapter of...**

**The Orchid's Keeper**

**Main Pairing: ****Sasuke/Hinata**

**Side Parings: ****Onesided Neji/Hinata, Undetermined**

**Rating: ****M, just in case I get a little heavy. ;)**

**Summary:**A dark young man spots a beautiful girl in a field alone, and decides she will be his. However, he soon finds that force may not have been the way to go about things…

* * *

><p>So far, this day had been nothing but infuriating.<p>

It had started out normally enough, he supposed. His morning training had gone as normal, waking up ridiculously early, training for what seemed an eternity, but what could have honestly been only a few hours, and still meeting Hinata at her door before breakfast.

Immediately upon greeting her, he could tell that her sleep had been just as restless as his, the tell-tale dark circles ringing her doe-like eyes. He had heard her stirring early this morning, and he had guessed—correctly, that she had gone to take a bath.

Ever since he had found her in the woods alone almost a week ago, Hinata had been one of two things. She had typically been very distant, losing focus on her daily tasks, lesson masters reporting that she was falling behind, and, most unusually, he would catch her staring out of the many windows in the compound, always towards the forest. The other small percentage of the time, she had been fretting over him, because he knew that he too, had been fairly distant.

But he still couldn't shake the feeling that something else was going on with his cousin.

It had briefly come to him that she may have caught wind of what the elders were planning, but he mercilessly killed these thoughts within seconds. He knew very well just how hard his uncle had been fighting to keep the…situation….from his only daughter.

But, even Neji knew it could only last for so long, and shortly after breakfast, both he and Hinata were called to meet in Hiashi-sama's quarters.

As they walked across the main courtyard to the section of the compound housing the offices, he studied Hinata from the corner of his eye. She really was lovely, no matter what she thought. Even with the bluish circles, her fair skin, straight hair, and eyes gave her the appearance of a doll.

A beautiful, _fragile_ doll. To be guarded on his life.

The elders had made as much clear to him since he was old enough to understand. If he ever had any hope of leading this clan, any hope of becoming as strong as his father had been before his death, or, most important to him, any hope of ever making beautiful, fragile Hinata his wife, he had to show full commitment to his duties.

His thoughts settled grimly around his shoulders as he slid the screen to the meeting room open, and he and Hinata went through the painstaking routine that he thought of as nothing more than a circus act.

He knew exactly what this meeting was about, and could already imagine how awful and awkward it was going to be.

* * *

><p>If anyone in the Underworld had ever doubted Sasuke's cruelty before, they had stopped. Very quickly.<p>

This past week could be described only as very…hellish.

He couldn't help it. He snickered inwardly at his own pathetic attempt at a joke.

Every day he had returned to the woods, hoping for another "chance" meeting with her. However, he had realized mid-week that the chances of coming across her again so soon were very, very slim. He had tried other…less savory methods of seeing her, but thus far, nothing had happened.

Well, that wasn't quite true. Something had indeed happened.

Sasuke had realized how ridiculous this all really was. He was a _god_ for goodness' sake. What was he doing, trailing hopelessly after some little scrap of a mortal girl? If anything, she should have fallen to his feet the moment she laid eyes on him.

But that hadn't happened.

Instead, she had caused some damnable slip of a human emotion to flicker to life in him, and it was becoming more and more difficult to deny this.

All of this led to the hatching of his current plan. Now, all he needed was a team of horses, a carriage, and a get-away-method.  
>This, as opposed to desiring some waifish little human girl, was <em>right<em> up his dank, sketchy ally.

* * *

><p>Although her bath had been relaxing, Hinata had not been able to shake the queasy feeling of anxiety all day long. Granted, it was still rather early in the day, but the feeling had settled heavily in her belly, making her regret every bite she had taken at breakfast.<p>

She nervously picked at the edge of her skirt, disliking the heavy, traditional kimono she was forced to don during the bitter winter months. She much preferred the light, airy yukatas summer allowed her, even though those were modest by modern standards. The thick fabric of the garment rubbed up against her clammy skin, and for a single second, she felt that odd, warming sensation all over her being. The very same sensation as when she had first heard that handsome stranger's voice….

She suddenly shook her head. It was thoughts like those that had been filling her head with thoughts of a much more sinful nature lately, and it made her feel very guilty…not to mention uncomfortable. The Hyuuga were world renowned for being able to see through walls, and long distances, but sometimes it felt as if they could see her thoughts as well.

She shifted again, and this brought her father's attention to her. She had been fidgeting for the duration of the meeting, which was surely going on an hour at least, and she waited for what she was certain would be a scolding.

She was disproven, however, when he simply met her eyes, and gave her an odd little smile. Hinata had always been very good at reading others, and her father, while a little more difficult, was no different.

His smile was a little sad, a little confused, and most certainly not genuine. It didn't reach his eyes, and his brow was slightly furrowed. She smiled at him a little uncertainly, but her attention was quickly diverted at the mention of her own name.

"Perhaps now would be the best time to share the news with Hinata-sama, Hiashi-sama?" the elderly woman who had been speaking had stopped, and, naturally, it was Hachiro-san who had picked the conversation back up. Hinata didn't dislike people, as a rule, but if she did, the fat, wrinkled old frog would definitely be on her list.

"News, father?" Hinata asked, doing her best to keep the curiosity, and although she was a bit ashamed to admit it, excitement out of her voice. Perhaps their strange new neighbor had finally met with her father! And, that, of course meant, that she would get to see him again sometime soon.

That was, of course, until that crotchety old man opened his shriveled lips.

"Oh, yes, Hinata-sama. It is very wonderful news, that I am sure both you _and_ Neji-san are going to be very thrilled about." He said, his mouth stretching into a grin. She felt her heart tighten, and although she couldn't see him, she felt Neji stiffen from where he was seated behind her.

"Hachiro-san, if you don't mind." Her father told him, and she heard the slight icy edge in his voice.

Whatever made Hachiro-san this happy, and her father this unhappy, as well as involving her cousin, was certainly not good news. She had a very bad feeling that she was _not_ going to be thrilled at all.

* * *

><p>Hiashi felt his throat constrict slightly at the very small edge of panic he had seen on his daughter's face. It was true, he could never be called the nation's greatest father, but he had done the best he could. He had loved her, tried to never be too cruel to her, and had certainly kept her safe from harm's way. But he couldn't help it that he was formal, and stiff, and somewhat cold as a father. It was just the way he was.<p>

Hinata, however, had turned out beautifully. She was so very like her mother. Gentle. Kind. Beautiful. And, above all, she possessed the same grace that drew the broken to her. He had seen her work her strange magic on everything from an injured sparrow, to her elder cousin. She always knew just what to say, or do. So much like his beloved wife.

It broke his heart, cold man that he was, to do this to such a gentle soul. Not to mention what it was going to do to his nephew.

* * *

><p><strong>There's the first part! Let me know what you thought! And a cookie+hug to the following lovlies:<strong>

**Any-Angel1**

**sKyLaR KnIgHt**

**The title was a song from the band Within Temptation. I love them, check them out if you'd like! **

**As always, this loving author wants to hear from you. Please, please, please review, it makes my day, like I've said a MILLION times before. You are all beautiful people, and I love you. Thank you, and goodnight! :)**

**Avid. **


	8. Chapter Six: Part Two

**Hey all. Not a very long note today, I promise. This one's a little short, but it's the second half. It was difficult to write, while holding onto the way I've developed the characters. It's also only two people's point of view. **

**Also, based off of your reviews, I think I went a completely different way than what you were expecting. I hope you enjoy it, still!**

**P.S. Fair warning, Hiashi's ooc. **

**The Orchid's Keeper**

**Main Pairing: ****Sasuke/Hinata**

**Side Parings: ****Onesided Neji/Hinata, Undetermined**

**Rating: ****M, just in case I get a little heavy. ;)**

**Summary:**A dark young man spots a beautiful girl in a field alone, and decides she will be his. However, he soon finds that force may not have been the way to go about things…

* * *

><p>"Hinata-sama? Hinata-sama, can you hear me?" a faint voice was calling her name. Her head throbbed, and she felt certain that if she even dared to open her eyes the smallest amount, it would increase the pain tenfold. On top of all of that, she was practically gasping for air, and couldn't seem to get enough. She felt her head getting fuzzy again, until another voice boomed next to her.<p>

"Someone get the stupid obi off of her! She can't breathe." The other person demanded. That voice she could recognize easily. Apparently, however, whoever was supposed to be undressing her was not moving quickly enough.

"Move." His deep voice thrummed underneath her, and the next noise was the slicing of the heavy fabric around her middle. As the pressure slid off her abdomen, she sucked in air, and opened her eyes.

She was right. It had been a bad idea.

Ten people, at the very least, crowded around her. Her father was closest, besides her cousin, who currently held her in his arms. The rest were a few elders, and the handful of servants who had been attending the clan meeting.

Her father's face was grave, and it only took her seconds to recall why.

She sat up quickly, only for her vision to get foggy, and her head become light. She tried to stand, rewarded by her legs nearly collapsing beneath her. Even with Neji's help, she was shaky. Not to mention the fact that she was in a state of undress, now that her obi lay in two pieces on the floor. She did her best to hold her kimono closed as Neji led her to the door. His grip was tight with anger, and she couldn't help the wave of emotions that swept through her.

"Hinata, I will come speak to you in a little while. After you have recovered." Her father spoke to her, his tone neutral.

For the very first time in her life, Hinata did not bother to stop the rebellious words that bubbled to her lips.

"Forgive me father, but I do not believe I will recover from this." Neji's grip grew a little tighter at her words, spoken in a frigid, almost fierce tone. She shook him loose, and left the room without bowing, or even acknowledging anyone. She hadn't even bothered to turn around when she had spoken to her father. Scandalized whispers flew through wizened, thinned lips.

And even though she was on the brink of a second collapse, of both a physical and emotional nature, she couldn't help but congratulate herself on a small victory.

'_I hate him.' _She thought bitterly, as she hobbled down the hallway. Servants and family members alike scurried out of her way, and none offered to help her.

But, after she had given the bitter thought a moment to settle on her conscience, her resolve softened immensely. _'No. I could never hate him. He's my father.'_

She couldn't remember her room ever being this far before. But then again, she had always had two good lungs, been fully dressed, and not nursing a thundering headache and a wounded heart.

She had always thought she had been so _much_ _more_ than a weak daughter to her father. She had always thought that, when the time came, he would have allowed to do this on her own, the way he had. The way her mother had.

Hinata was no fool, but she had always held onto the hope that her father would have allowed her to fall in love, all on her own.

Any thought or dream of that, however, was completely out the door, and lost to the universe now.

* * *

><p>"Please, be silent." Hiashi said, his voice under toned with anger and sternness.<p>

"Hiashi-sama, you understand that we cannot back out of the agreement now. It would mean certain loss of business for us, and possibly ruin relations within the village! We cannot afford that!" An old woman practically barked from her seat.

What seemed like a thousand other aged voices joined her protests, and his nephew stood stonily by the door, refusing to show emotion, not even anger, over what had transpired. As the voices steadily increased in decibel, Hiashi felt his temper rise, and hit its roof.

"Would you all kindly CLOSE your mouths." He stood suddenly, and slammed his hands on the dark wood table. The elders ceased chattering abruptly, and many affected wounded or angered dispositions.

"Despite the blatant lack of respect for the condition of _your heiress" _he hissed, "I will hear your complaints. I understand that you fear the loss of relations with Konoha, but I **assure **you, that an unwilling heiress is just as useful as a dead heiress, and if you do not treat the situation with more delicacy, than that is precisely what we will have on our hands. The agreement stands for now. I will go and speak with my daughter. The rest of you will retire for the evening, and will _not_ gossip like schoolchildren." He told the council, and only waited half a second before telling them very firmly to leave.

The journey to his daughter's bedroom was the second most excruciating walk he had ever taken. The first had been to see his wife's body, shortly after her death. The halls were dead silent, and he didn't pass so much as a stray maid. The elders were surely using all the servants to pass scrolls to one another.

He hoped with all his might that he would never be like them.

Hinata's door was shut tight, as was Neji's. He knocked, and the soft shuffling of feet across the floor was barely audible. He couldn't help but wish his daughter were some overweight, grotesque being. Perhaps then this would be easier.

The door opened on well-oiled hinges, and her wan little face looked up into his. She turned her back to him, without inviting him in.

He wondered, briefly, if this was how a normal house-hold operated. Ornery daughters, disdainful of their father's wishes, and wanting to punish them with silence.

So very _like_ a woman.

A thin smile almost appeared on his face, but Hinata's cold demeanor, even as he slipped into her room, stripped him of it quickly.

They stood in silence for a few agonizing moments, before he himself broke it.

"Daughter…" he began, but hated the way he sounded so much like the head of the Hyuuga clan, instead of his teenage daughter's father.

"Hinata. This was not my will." He did his very best to try and appease her, without losing his superior touch. Something he had been able to master through time.

She didn't respond, but instead crossed to her window. She had changed into a nightdress, and her simple, eggshell blue robe. In it, he was able to fully see how thin she was, how small, and frail. The kimonos were padded, and without the extra fabric, he was able to fully see how childlike his seventeen year old girl really and truly was.

He wondered what would become of her, when her first child came. An image of Hana, heavily pregnant with Hinata, flickered in his mind. She had been so round, and, although Hiashi Hyuuga _did not_ use the word, she had been very, very adorable.

Somehow, though, he could not see Hinata this way. Hana had had curves to begin with, and he imagined Hinata would be a caricature of a pregnant woman.

Too thin.

Unhealthy.

Practically ripped apart when giving birth.

Just like her mother.

"Hinata, I know you do not wish to hear this from me. But this is your duty. You always knew it would come to this. You had to understand that this clan, these elders, are not ready for a female leader. You must have known that." More pleading had slipped into his voice, as the image of his only child broken and bleeding would not leave his mind.

He was normally such a stoic man. All of these emotions made him troubled. He rested his hands lightly on his daughter's shoulders, and immediately felt them sag beneath his fingers.

* * *

><p>She knew it wasn't his fault. From the very minute he had made the announcement she had known.<p>

And now, here he was, in her room, making apologies the only way he knew how. His hands on her shoulders caused the dam to break, and tears flooded into her eyes. She pressed her fingers lightly over her eyes, and willed her voice not shake.

"I always thought…that you…that I would have been given the chance to fall in love. Like you…and mama."

Her voice sounded so broken, even to her. She felt her father open his mouth, but she cut him off.

"I know that this is my duty. I knew that they could not accept me. I had just wished…" she trailed off….and she turned to face him.

"I want to make her proud, father. I want to make _you _proud. And if that means marrying a man from the village, even a man I have never met, I will do it. I cannot promise to do so happily, but I will do it with honor. For you. For mama. I just want you to be proud." She finished, and her tears had dried slightly.

Her father, always so calm, always so detached, gazed at her evenly. She knew he had been a handsome man. She knew that could not have been all her mother had fallen in love with. She understood that deep down, her father loved her very much, as painful a reminder to him as she was. She wanted to make him happy, and she would do so the only way she knew how.

She would marry Kiba Inuzuka.

* * *

><p><strong>Alright, that's that. We are about to really get into the actual story! You guys have been kind of quiet on me these last couple of chapters, so please, let me know what you think! Thank you so much to all of you who have reviewed, and faved and alreted! I love you guys, you're my bread and butter! Much love!<strong>

**Avid.**


	9. Chapter Seven: Chance

**Hey guys! Long time, no write! **

**I am truly sorry that this has taken me nearly a month to post. On the plus side, it's the longest chapter to date! Hooray! :D**

**I know, I know, not an excuse. **

**I can't promise to be more regular, but I'll try! Until then, here you go, the next installment of...**

**The Orchid's Keeper**

**Main Pairing: ****Sasuke/Hinata**

**Side Parings: ****Onesided Neji/Hinata, Undetermined**

**Rating: ****M, just in case I get a little heavy. ;)**

**Summary:**A dark young man spots a beautiful girl in a field alone, and decides she will be his. However, he soon finds that force may not have been the way to go about things…

* * *

><p>How could she be so…resigned? How could she just agree to sell herself like this, for the sake of elders that <em>obviously<em> cared so very little for her? How could she be so very blind to _his_ feelings for her? If she truly understood, if she truly was kind, if she truly _loved _him the way she claimed, she would fight, at least a little.

He knew that her feelings for him were currently platonic, but he had always harbored some sort of….hope, that they would one day grow into something more. Maybe not full on love, but at least something more than friendship. Something more than camaraderie.

But instead, here he was, gritting his teeth, standing behind her at the front gates, one of the final times as her guardian. Once she was married it would be up to _him, _that disgusting, flea ridden mangy fur ball to protect her. Not that he believed he could.

He found the other man revolting.

And he hadn't even properly met him yet.

However, Neji begrudgingly gave him credit for arriving well. He knew, at the very least, Hinata would most likely want for very little. From afar, it had seemed the young dog Lord had allowed his carriage to be pulled by very small horses, perhaps ponies. The thought had been laughable. But now, it became evident that they were not small horses, but rather, massive dogs. Huge slobbering beasts.

How very fitting.

The carriage followed a small guard, just three men.

Apparently, the man felt he had nothing to fear.

As the carriage drew closer, his cousin stiffened. She had been dressed, made-up, her hair pulled, tugged, and brushed this way and that, until she didn't seem to be Hinata, but rather a Hinata doll. Even with the extra padding, it was evident that in the days following the announcement, her already scant eating habits had further worsened.

However, even in the ridiculous silk kimono, the garish headdress, stiff curls, and red lips, she was breathtaking. He knew that as soon as the mutt stepped out of his gilded coach he would be smitten, and Neji would just be even more angry.

He wondered if he could get the man to spar with him?

* * *

><p>She stood uncomfortably, hating the way she could feel the make-up sitting on her face, hating how heavy and stiff her hair was, hating that her kimono was so thick, and hot.<p>

But at least she could hide behind it. Eventually, this man would become her husband. Eventually, she would have to face him, un-made, hair down, without the false curves that the extra padding provided her.

What would he see then? A thin, sickly girl, attempting to masquerade as a woman? Trying to ensnare him, to secure a stable marriage for herself?

Or would he see her for who she truly was? A sad young woman, resigned to her fate, giving up her only home, giving up her only chance to fall in love.

Unless, of course, she was able to fall in love with him.

Her heart gave a little lurch, and her inner rebel scoffed. _'Don't be ridiculous. You two falling in love is as likely as you ever falling for Neji.'_

She hadn't said a single word to anyone since her and her father's conversation, four days ago. She was certain that her voice would fail her, and she was perfectly content to let it fade away, forgotten, never to be used again.

She felt her cousin's heavy gaze, and also, although not everyone was present, she felt the eyes of the whole compound on her. A hundred, two hundred, or three blood-line limits activated, studying her, scrutinizing every move she made, every minuscule breath the ridiculous formal attire allowed her.

This sacrifice, she decided, was not for the uppity young granddaughters of the elders. Nor was it for the lecherous uncles, nor the disapproving aunts.

This sacrifice was for the gentle young mothers, swaddling the white-eyed little babies of the clan, gathering and chattering quietly as they tended their daily duties. This sacrifice was for the darling little girls and boys, forced into training and hardening themselves everyday so that their clan might be prosperous. This sacrifice was for her dear cousin, so that he may eventually recover his heart, and give it to another young woman, one who was willing, one who was _able_ to receive it with everything she had, including her own heart.

Everyone was a quiet as possible, and the carriage only got closer and closer. She wished it would just disappear.

Better yet, she wished _she_ could just disappear.

As nervous as she was, she couldn't help the small bubble of excitement that rose inside her. Dogs weren't allowed on the compound, or pets of any kind for that matter. She had only eve seen a few puppies, when out about in the village, and never in all her days had she seen anything quite so large. They were brown and grey, with ears that stood straight up, and practically no tails.

The gates to the compound swung inward on well-oiled hinges. No squeaky gates for the Hyuuga. The carriage was made of mahogany, with ornately carved, glided scenery. At the same time, she could tell it was antique, proving that the Inuzukas were old money.

Her breath hitched in her throat as the part came to a stop not a hundred yards away. The dogs came to her shoulders at the least, and she could now easily examine the three men on guard. One was a blond, with crystalline blue eyes. The other was mostly concealed by an over-sized coat and sunglasses, a thick shock of dark hair the only identifiable feature. The third man was a bit rotund, with an amicable face. Over all, they seemed quite a curious bunch, not looking all that capable of protecting much.

Her study of the trio was brought to an end abruptly, as the door of the carriage swung open. Her heart hammered in her chest as one foot descended, then another.

She never got to see the young man's face, however, because she fainted, once more, to nearly no one's surprise.

* * *

><p>After finally recovering from her abundant embarrassment, Hinata met her suitor for the first time.<p>

Imagine her surprise when he was not a hairy, hideous beast as everyone had been making him out to be. Sure he was no Sasuke but…

No! Those thoughts were forbidden. Soon, she would be officially engaged, and on her way to be this man…no. She would be on her way to be _Kiba's _wife.

He was pleasant enough in appearance. He had tanned skin, and chocolate brown eyes. His dark hair stood out all around his head, even though he had it shortly shorn. The only thing that seemed different to her was the slightly elongated canine teeth in his mouth, and the large red triangular stripes on his cheeks.

Even with these….improvements…he was cute. He also had a personality unlike any other man she had known. He was boisterous, a little crude, and altogether charming. He had managed to make her feel much better the very second she me him.

"I must say, Hinata-sama, you have to be the prettiest unconscious girl I've ever met." He had told her, followed by what she could only describe as a bark of laughter. She had blushed heavily, and Neji had stiffened visibly, but he couldn't possibly see her blush underneath the thick white paint on her face, and Neji didn't understand the term 'loosen up' anyway.

All throughout the evening, she and Kiba-kun, as he had instantly insisted she call him, had chatted easily. He was sweet for the most part, and had an easy way about him. Only one of his three guards attended them, the blue-eyed blond, who, as it turned out, was just as loud as Kiba-kun. Kiba-kun had just introduced him as Uzumaki-san, but as soon as he had slipped out of the room for a moment, the young man struck up a conversation with her.

"I know the mutt introduced me all formal and what-not, but I'm Naruto!" he all but shouted at her.

"Oh…well, I don't think it's polite to call Kiba-kun a mutt, Uzumaki-san…" she began, but he cut her short.

"Call me Naruto, Hinata-sama! And don't worry! The mutt and I go waaaaaaaay back. I remember this one time…" he responded, and launched, or rather, hurtled into a story that didn't seem to make much sense, or end, or really….much of anything. She nodded politely throughout, and made affirmative little noises when it seemed right. He must have been pleased with her audience, however, because he ended his story with as much gusto as he had begun it with.

"And that's when he fell straight back into the old broad!" He told her, slapping his knee, and laughing himself near tears.

"I hope you haven't been bothering Hinata-sama with one of your idiot stories, Uzumaki." She heard Kiba-kun call in his rough voice.

"Of course not…..sir." He added the last as a sort of afterthought, and she knew that they undoubtedly were much closer than guard and guarded.

Kiba entered the room, with what could only be described as a wolfish grin on his face, his arms extended sheepishly behind his head.

"Hinata-sama, there's someone I'd really love for you to meet, if you don't mind too much." He told her, sitting down next to her carefully, mindful of her ridiculous accessories.

Her little heart sped up slightly, and she wondered what on earth he could mean. She had already met his guards, and surely he hadn't brought his family along. Perhaps….perhaps he already had a wife! And now, she was to be his second wife, and have to listen to the first wife all the time!

"Um…no. I don't mind…at all." She replied haltingly, uncertain of what to do.

"Great! That's great! Follow me!" he told her enthusiastically, practically leaping up from where he had been seated. He helped her up (the heavy layers made getting up difficult) and led her outside. She threw a casual glance over her shoulder to see if their guards were following them, to see just Neji. She pondered where the loud young blond man had gone, but turned back to Kiba as he started talking to her.

She soon realized that they were headed to the gardens. What could he possibly have to show her in _her_ gardens?

He babbled on and on about nothing and everything as they drew closer. The pathway had been scraped clean of snow and ice that afternoon, but the ground itself and all the plants still had a fine dusting of white powder all over, and she noticed one bush in particular was heaped with the stuff.

At least, she thought it was a bush, until it came dashing towards her at what must have been ninety miles an hour!

* * *

><p>He lay sprawled over a chaise, pinching the bridge of his nose. Dying was big business, and there was always some idiot whom he just <em>had<em> to attend to right then, right there.

It gave him a massive migraine. Now, all was calm…or as calm as it could be, in the Underworld. Even the proverbial Heaven and Hell had operating hours.

Now was supposed to be the time where he could lie down, feign sleep, and think of Hinata. He felt like a fool, but he didn't really care. It wasn't like anyone _knew_ what precisely he was planning. And if they did, they knew far better than to say anything to him.

He relaxed a bit, his heavy cloak off, clad in nothing but simple cotton pants. Black, of course. The cool dark walls of his room were a sanctuary to him.

His headache was just beginning to ebb away….

"Hey, teme! What're you doing!" a voice shouted, as the doors to his chambers hit the stone walls with a heavy cracking sound.

"Ugh. Go. Away. Naruto." He growled between his teeth, rolling away from the light that had exploded into his room. He nearly rolled right off the velvet couch when Naruto's voice burst right in his ear "But I'm here for my weekly check in!"

"FINE. You've checked in. LEAVE." He responded, standing up with what dignity he had managed to hold on to.

"Doncha want to at least hear what I'm up to?" the blond whined.

Sasuke sighed. As much as he hated the fox-demon at times, he would be forced to admit that if gods had friends, Naruto was his only one.

But that of course, was _if_ gods had friends. Which, coincidentally, they didn't. Still, to humor his loyal subject he grit out "Fine. What have you been doing?"

He stalked across the room to his desk, where he seated himself, and dragged out a heavy leather book. In it were recorded all the comings and goings of his own personal fleet of demons. Most of them were just faces, a few had names, and a very select number had been actual people, doing a special penance or punishment for some sort of deed. Naruto was one such young man, although Sasuke sometimes wondered if he wasn't punishing himself more often than not.

So far, he had tuned out the idiot blond, but something he said caught his attention.

"And there's this weird guy, Neji, right? And he kind of looks like a girl in my opin—"

"What did you just say?" he asked, gripping the edge of the marble desk.

"I said I think that he looks like a girl in my o—" Naruto repeated.

"No, you moron, before that? What was the name you just said!" he thundered, doing his very best not to throw the thick tome at his friend.

"Neji? Geez Sasuke, what is with you?" Naruto asked, as Sasuke stared at him blankly for a moment. "Did you make a deal with this guy, or what?" he questioned, lying down on the previously occupied chaise.

"What does this man look like? Did he have long brown hair?"

"Yeah but—"

"Was he really pale? White eyes? Kind of effeminate?"

"Sure, Sasuke but I don't under—"

"Was he with a woman?" he demanded, his eyes glowing like the fresh embers of a fire."

"If you mean Hinata-sama, than yeah, but Sasuke, what the hell is up with all the questions?" Naruto scratched his head in that dopey manner of his, and the look of confusion was evident in his crystal clear eyes.

"Naruto, I have a task for you to do. Now listen carefully, you idiot, because there is absolutely NO room for any of your moronic errors…." He began, the gears in his head spinning quickly.

As he spoke, the gulp Naruto took was so audible, it practically echoed in the room.

* * *

><p>"I'm really, really sorry, Hinata-sama. I thought he'd be a little bit…calmer than that." Kiba apologized again, for what must have been the millionth time.<p>

"Really, Kiba-kun, it's quite alright. It's just a little snow, I don' t mind. And he really is a big dear. A very, very big dear…." She finished, staring at the massive white dog that she had previously thought to be a bush. Imagine her fright when the bush attacked her, and violently began licking the makeup off her face.

Kiba had managed to wrestle the beast off of her, but not in time to salvage what the Hyuuga dressers deemed their 'art-work'. She had scrubbed the rest off her face, but her hair remained a mess. She was going to have to have help with that, she was afraid. But, it was already a bit late, and she couldn't say she wasn't tired. It had been a day full of all sorts of….excitements.

They were completely alone in the foyer. Neji had retired (respectfully) after the spectacle with Akamaru (which, she learned soon after, was the dog's name) and Naruto hadn't made a reappearance since earlier in the evening. She knew, however, that the ever watchful eyes of the elders were upon them. She also knew exactly what was expected of her.

"Hinata-sama, I hope you've enjoyed this evening as much as I have." he told her, grasping her hands tightly in his, which were almost uncomfortably warm.

"I have, Kiba-kun." She replied, though her smile was a bit too tight.

"I know that these aren't the best of circumstances to hope for love to blossom, but I do wish for…things…to progress smoothly for us." He told her, and his grip tightend, just a bit.

There was something in his tone that she found just a bit menacing. But surely, she was imaging it, though, because his eyes seemed completely sincere.

"I know, Kiba-kun…me, too." She told him, and she knew what came next.

"Goodnight, Hinata-sama." He told her, and gave her that same wolfish grin.

This time, however, she didn't find it as charming. Now, it was a little threatening. However, she shook it off once more, and told him goodnight.

As he leaned in to her, she knew what he wanted. She knew what the elders wanted. She knew that this was the part where she was supposed to kiss him, supposed to 'seal the deal' and make sure that everything went perfectly for the clan.

She began to lean into him too, and had almost closed her eyes, when she realized that she couldn't.

They could force her into marriage.

They could take away her only dream.

They could tell her when, where, and how she was to wed.

But they couldn't force her to give away her first kiss like this.

She wanted it to be special. Not a performance for a bunch of crotchety elderly people, looking for nothing but more money in their grubby, wrinkled palms.

She hugged him tightly, taking him by surprise.

"Goodnight, Kiba-kun." She murmured to him, and bowed as was required by tradition. As she walked away from him, towards her room, she felt the weight of the elder's disappointment on her shoulders. But she also felt a sense of pride in herself.

What she did not notice was the scowl on the rough young man's face, nor the unmasked anger dancing in his eyes.

* * *

><p><strong>There ya go! I hoped you liked it! I really put a lot of effort into this one, and I hope it shows! Once again, I don't have a beta, so please forgive me my mistakes! And, as always, review please! The reviews I got on the last one were really REALLY great, and I wish you guys would always be that responsive! I'll even let you in on a little secret. Reviews are inspiration for me, and the more I get, the more I want to write! So do this author a favor? Click the little button? :)<strong>

**I love all of you who read, review, and every other little thing you do. As always, thanks so much for reading! See you next time!**

**Avid. **


	10. Chapter Eight: Unexpected

**Hey! Things are finally FINALLY calming down on my end, so hopefully some more regular updating is headed this way! This one's a bit short to get me back into the writing mode. OOCness may happen, blah blah, oh well, I'm sure you know by now. Please NICELY show my my errors so that they might be corrected. I'm going to start introducing a couple new concepts into the mix. Thank you to EVERYONE who has reviewed! I was one away from one hundred! That is AMAZING. I never in all my life expected so much positive feedback! Now, after such a long wait, here is the next chapter offfffff...**

**The Orchid's Keeper**

**Main Pairing: ****Sasuke/Hinata**

**Side Parings: ****Onesided Neji/Hinata, Undetermined**

**Rating: ****M, just in case I get a little heavy. ;)**

**Summary:**A dark young man spots a beautiful girl in a field alone, and decides she will be his. However, he soon finds that force may not have been the way to go about things…

* * *

><p>Things within the main house of the compound had been…strained since her "date" with the young dog lord. The elders had naturally been very displeased with the turn of events, and Kiba himself had gained a strange, embittered edge. Once, she had been going down the corridor, headed to another dance lesson, and she had heard raised voices coming from one of the rooms they used less often.<p>

"I came here under the impression that things would be moving _much_ quicker than they have been. I cannot begin to express how very **angry** it makes me to be lied to."

She had scurried away before she could hear anymore, but even that had been enough to make her more than a bit frightened.

Now, she was being called into her father's office, after a week of more "dates" with Kiba. One highlight, however, had been that she had gotten to know the happy young man Naruto better, and she had to say that she enjoyed his company, quite more than she had expected to. His buoyant laughter and sunny disposition, not to mention his ever-lengthening stories and crude jokes filled the awkward space between her and her 'beau'.

Neji on the other hand, hadn't spoken a single word to her since their last heated exchange, the day after Kiba had arrived. All though many had been watching her that evening, he had not been one of them, and for some reason he had simply assumed she had allowed the man certain liberties.

She recalled with a slightly aching heart the cruel words they had spoken to one another.

"Neji-nii-san, I don't understand why you have been looking at me like that all day. It makes me uncomfortable." She had spoken up. They had been in her sitting room, she working on her tragic needlework, and he staring at her with what could only be disgust on his face.

"Forgive me, Hinata-sama. I just cannot seem to view you in the same manner. After all, you are a changed woman now, aren't you?" his voice had been biting and respectful at the same time.

It had irritated her thoroughly.

She had tossed the velvet scrap aside and stood as easily as her heavy clothing would permit. Despite the fact that their initial meeting was over, she was still being made up every day. She was tired, from poor sleep, cranky from all the attention and pressure, and very _very_ warm from all the stupid **stupid** layers she was wearing.

"And just what are you implying, _cousin_?" Her voice was cold, one of the few times she used the typical Hyuuga demeanor.

Neji stood as well, towering over her, attempting to intimidate her. "No need for pretty niceties, _Lady._ I know as well as you that you are a woman of the world now." He replied, looking down on her, eyes hard.

"If you are implying in some way that I was anything less than _friendly_ with Kiba-kun, than let me inform you that I was not. I hugged him. And that was it. Believe it or not, I _can and do_ think for myself. I'm not some mindless little puppet that the elders can have do their bidding any time they want. I am making this decision of my own consciousness. I am not being forced into anything. If you'd open your eyes and close your mouth, maybe you would have noticed." She retorted, shaking with anger. Why was he being such a…..mean person!

Her exit had followed her dramatic little rant, and they hadn't spoken since.

Of course, she was apologetic, and of course, he would have nothing to do with her at the moment.

Her father's office was already open, and she made the traditional greetings. Seated inside already were Kiba-kun and her father. Kiba stood when she entered the room, bowing to her deeply.

"You look lovely, Hinata-sama, as always." He told her, his voice slightly gravelly.

The tension was very thick in the air, and she felt certain that if anymore were added one could swallow and choke on it. So, instead of being petulant, she was very forthcoming.

"Thank you very much Kiba-kun. You look handsome, as well." She told him, a blush staining her cheeks. She knew he saw it, because his grin widened.

"Ahem." Her father cleared his throat.

"Please, daughter. Have a seat. We have much to discuss."

* * *

><p>Neji slammed his body against the heavy dummy, modeled after a man far outweighing himself.<p>

His training had been much more rigorous the past week. He had arisen hours earlier than typical, trained much harder, destroyed more dummies, sparring partners, and equipment than ever before. No one was willing to train with him anymore.

What he needed was a good, old-fashioned fight with someone he could really lay into.

Maybe one of the mutt's guards would be up for the challenge.

Hinata's words still rang in his head. But not in the positive way, as she had hoped.

Instead, all he could hear her saying was that she chose to follow the path she was on.

She was deciding to marry that idiot.

She was deciding to give everything up.

She was deciding to leave without ever even giving him a chance.

He kicked the dummy viciously.

It's thick, heavy rubber head flew off, and slapped against the wall, bouncing a couple times, and rolling to his bare feet.

He nudged it with his toe, feeling the weight, the slippery skin-like texture.

That made four dummies this morning.

He was on a roll.

* * *

><p>"Has everything been readied to my specifications?" He demanded, devoid of emotion.<p>

Sasuke was scrawling lazily in the book of the Worthy. It had been what he supposed most would call a 'good' day. He had had a total of seven people depart into the haven of the underworld, nearly unheard of compared to the one or so he had every couple of days.

It irritated him slightly.

Almost as much as the green-eyed woman sitting on his desk.

"Of course, master. The coach has been prepared, horses groomed, and guards have been notified of all planned entrances and exits." The mostly-naked demon girl said shaking her long, pink hair in what he was sure she thought was a seductive manner. Her lack of clothing was what was considered the norm by most of the demon women that worked in the lower depths of the underworld, some taking an even more…casual….approach to the 'uniform.'

"Good. Now, where is the idiot?" He asked, not bothering to take his eyes off his paperwork this time.

"Naruto-kun is on his way in. He was checking last minute preparations, and then promised he'd be back shortly." She told him, pressing herself a little bit closer to his hands.

"Excellent. Dismissed." He replied, all but pushing her off of his desk.

"But master I had been hoping we could—"

"Was I unclear when I dismissed you?" he cut her off, his eyes cold and calculating, as he fixed her with his steady glare.

"No, master. My apologies." She murmured, before scuttling off.

He wished annoying women had been that easily handled in his mortal days.

He scoffed lightly to himself, before returning to the book, and finishing the task at hand.

Afterwards, he would be able to focus on the much more important and tantalizing job ahead.

* * *

><p>They had been sitting in silence for what seemed to be a good million years, but what could truly have only been fifteen or so seconds.<p>

"I know, it may come as a shock, daughter, but the elders felt that with the way things were progressing so well, that there was really no need to wait." Her father spoke, and she regarded him with glazed eyes.

Hinata was quickly becoming a pro at receiving bad news.

This time, she hadn't fainted, or called out in dismay, or anything. And really, if she thought about it, the news wasn't truly awful. She had known it was going to happen.

She just didn't realize it would be so soon.

"The Inuzukas think it best that the two of you are wed in the village. A public unification will further cement the peace and prosperity that has been our way for many years now. This is just one more way of ensuring them that we aren't a threat to them…you understand, of course, Hinata?" he asked her, knowing it didn't really matter if she understood or not.

"Of course." She murmured, dutiful daughter that she was.

Kiba had been holding her hand for the duration of the meeting, and it felt as if all the moisture in her body was being removed through that one extremity.

She had figured the meeting would be about progressing their relationship. She certainly wasn't dumb enough to think it could have been about anything else.

A wedding, especially a traditional one, was a big affair that took at the least a few months of planning. She had thought she had had more time.

She was wrong.

"You leave tomorrow morning. Your things are being packed as we speak." He told the two, his voice quieter than before.

"Tomorrow?" she squeaked. Even the most skilled wedding planner in all of Japan couldn't plan a wedding in a day!

"The wedding won't be until next week, of course—"Kiba cut in, attempting to appease her.

"Next week!" she cried, pulling her hand away from his.

She only had a week left to be herself.

Only a week left to live her very own life, before she would become nothing better than a common…brood mare.

"It's not that far away, really. It will fly by like you won't believe!" Kiba promised her, trying to smooth ruffled feathers.

She smiled at him prettily, but couldn't help but think '_That's what I'm afraid of….'_

* * *

><p>Her room had never had much to symbolize that it was hers. The lacey blankets and pillows. The matching curtains.<p>

The only thing left this morning was her hairbrush set.

After a final night of sleeping in her girlhood bed, she had helped the maid pack up her quilt, everything else having been removed before hand.

Now, seated before her glass, brushing out her hair, her eyes filled with tears.

This was too fast.

She wasn't ready.

She didn't want to go.

She closed her eyes and choked back a sob, because her door was open.

This was no longer her place to cry in.

This was no longer her eye in the storm.

When she opened her eyes, her cousin stood behind her. She hadn't even heard him come in.

"Neji-nii-kun…" she began, but then trailed off, biting her lip. She stood suddenly, and walked over to him.

In her trembling hands, she held her mother's brush, the only thing she had left of her. On a day like this, a girl needed her mother.

"Hinata…" his voice was tight with emotion, and for the first time since his father's death she thought she saw tears in Neji's eyes.

"I'm sorry." He told her.

"I know." She replied.

And when he reached for her, and held her face between his fingers, and brought his lips down to hers, and kissed her like she was the only thing in existence, like she was the very sun, moon and stars, she let him.

* * *

><p><strong>:) Please, please, I beg you. Drop me a little something? :) I love love love you guys who stick with me through my crazy updating. Nothing makes my day more than to see a review from one of you guys! Thank you so so much! Until next time!<strong>

**Avid. **


	11. Chapter Nine: The Perfect Storn

**Hello, hello! This has been sitting in my brain, and I couldn't resist writing it all out and updating, even after such a short time. I really hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. All of your reviews were beautiful and I thank you so so much. I'm sure that you've been able to tell by now that a seperating bar means a switching of perspectives. This chapter has a lot of that, so please, bear with me, I really just wanted to be able to capture EVERYONE'S emotions. **

**I've spent a little over five years anonymous of FF, and I never understood why reviews were so important to the authors. Now that I am an author, I understand perfectly well what they mean. So, it'd be super sweet if you'd leave me (and all your favorite authors!) even just a little something. **

**So! No more rambling. Here is...**

**The Orchid's Keeper**

**Main Pairing: ****Sasuke/Hinata**

**Side Parings: ****Onesided Neji/Hinata, Undetermined**

**Rating: ****M, just in case I get a little heavy. ;)**

**Summary:**A dark young man spots a beautiful girl in a field alone, and decides she will be his. However, he soon finds that force may not have been the way to go about things…

* * *

><p>The carriage was very uncomfortable.<p>

Despite its lovely outer furnishing, the inside was made up of simple, hard benches, with thin cushions, worn down by generations of Inuzukas riding along. The one window in the side had thick, dusty drapes, and the whole entire thing had a musky canine scent. The one point of beauty inside the dark little structure was the well-maintained tapestry hung on the back wall. It depicted Konoha in its glory days; Inuzukas fighting what she assumed was a demon side by side with their dog companions. The demon was fearsome, tall and dark, in heavy black robes with long, swirling black hair.

"You like it?" Kiba asked her. She turned sharply at his barkish voice. He had a way of scaring her, even when being perfectly nice.

"Oh, yes," she breathed, attempting to put a bit of space between them. "It's lovely. The colors are so vivid, and I feel as if they shall all start moving at any point in time." She replied, and it was true. The tiny dog-men were valiant in posture and expression, ready to give up their lives for the village sprawled behind them.

"My grandfather had it commissioned over forty years ago. He told me that the story behind the tapestry is true, and that our clan fought a terrible demon many, many years ago. He wanted something he could hold look at, and since he did so much business abroad, he figured this would be the perfect thing." He told her, and reached a slightly clawed finger out to stroke the fabric.

She looked at the woven scene for a bit longer, not sure what to say. Conversation didn't really seem to be her strong point with Kiba, despite the effort on both their parts. They were just….

Different.

She didn't understand the way his moods switched so easily between bemused and happy to what was thinly veiled anger. Occasionally she would say something, and the look he would give her was chilling, to say the least. And then, as if on a timer, he would be fine, and the conversation would turn to something much lighter, such as wedding plans.

If you could call the planning of your impending wedding light.

It definitely wasn't her ideal situation.

* * *

><p>Curling fingers of mist crept over the grounds, snaking through the trees, lending the meadow an eerie feeling.<p>

The trees seemed almost ominous in the weak grey light of the afternoon, and instead of the thin white powder that had dusted the earth the day before, the snow was unrelenting, and glittered like the eyes of a snake. A very faint, almost imperceptible sound filled the air, like background noise.

A tree on the edge of the clearing trembled slightly, and a heavy load of snow fell from its boughs. A rabbit scampered from the forest and a snow dear shot out from the trees and tore through the meadow, followed by another, and another. A flock of birds rose from the canopy of the forest, and all the creatures awoke from a deep, midwinter slumber, as if sensing that something devastating were about to happen.

* * *

><p>"What do you mean, <em>stuck?"<em> Kiba roared.

"I'm sorry, Kiba-sama, but the wheel has sunken too far into the snow, and the dogs are buried up to their chests. We're doing our best to dig it out, but it may take a while…" the small footman said, trying to remain calm under his master's abuse.

"How _long_ is a while?" the young man asked, the threat implied heavily in his voice. Hinata shifted in her seat uncomfortably, not liking the direction the conversation was headed. She was already cold, and upset about everything else, but being stuck in the middle of nowhere on top of it all?

"A few hours, at the most." The little man said, and was promptly met with outrage.

"A FEW HOURS?"

"I promise you, Kiba-sama, we are doing all we can to remedy the situation as soon as possible." The footman said, and then, in a very smart move, bowed and went around to assist the guard with digging out the poor dogs.

When Kiba reentered the carriage, he merely grunted in response to her concerned look, before shaking himself off like a dog.

This was, without a doubt, the absolute most miserable day of Hinata's life.

* * *

><p>Everything was perfect. Everything had been readied.<p>

In the center of his kingdom, the Lord of the Underworld stood, for once looking every inch of his title. Dressed from neck to foot in black leather, the thick black leather gloves encasing his long fingers, his gently curling hair artfully scraped back. His crimson eyes carefully studied the six creatures that passed as horses. Each towered at eleven feet tall, skeletal with massive horns and leathery bat-like wings. Smooth faces with no eyes or sockets where eyes should have been. Tissue connected their top and bottom jaws, behind which was a mouth with no teeth, only a lolling black and green tongue, coated with sulphurous ooze.

The beasts were teamed up and hitched to an obsidian chariot, decorated ornately with a ruby and silver depiction of the writhing, burning damned.

It was on this that the king of Hell itself stood, holding a long, leather nine-tailed whip in one gloved hand, and a black battle-helm in the other. He slid the helm over his perfect features, and with a scary grin, reeled the whip back over his shoulder. With a strong, powerful stroke, it came down across the backs of his beasts, and with furious cries akin to the wailing of the tortured, the beasts tore down the path set for them. With another crack of his whip, the earth split apart from the trembling of twenty four massive feet, with a terrible, guttural cracking noise, from the bowels of the planet, arose a terrible, beautiful demon in his gilded chariot.

He dragged behind him a snowstorm of the worst variety, howling winds and snow thick enough to blind an entire village. He raced through the forests, the fire beneath the horses' feet melting the snow and scorching the ground beneath it.

At this rate, he would be upon them in less than an hour's time.

The maniacal glint in his eyes would have been hard to miss from a mile away.

* * *

><p>A little over thirty minutes later, and Hinata thought she was going to suffocate. With Kiba, herself, and Akamaru all crowded into the small wooden structure, the heat had become overbearingly stifling. She couldn't stand it for another second. She <em>had<em> to get out, for just a moment's time.

She stood shakily, pulling her hood up around her face.

"Where are you going, Hinata-chan?" Kiba asked, a bit of the snappish tone still in his voice.

"Outside, for just a moment." She responded, and tried to tactfully cross over the large dog without disrupting his sleep.

"I'll accompany you." He told her, and began to stand as well.

Her brain turned thirty miles a second. She had to think of something, very quickly. She needed a few minutes of peace!

"Ah, I would rather you did not…I have…business…to attend to." She said quickly, blushing at the nature of the subject as well as the lie.

"Ahh…" her responded, possibly just as embarrassed, and sat back down as fast as he had gotten up. "Don't take too long...Hinata-chan."

She couldn't help but feel the smallest bit threatened by his tone, but tried not to think too much about it. Instead, she stepped out of the doors, and was greeted by a cold, fresh burst of air.

_So_ much better than before.

The pathway was heavily laden with snow, and even though the five men that had accompanied were doing their very best, she could tell that it was slow going. Naruto waved at her cheerfully, before returning to trying to help another of the massive dogs out of the snow.

She strolled along the pathway, towards some of the trees. She went a bit farther than she normally would have, because she was still under the guise of needing to use the restroom.

Through the trees a bit, she found a beautiful little glen, thick with snow. An iced-over river ribboned through the center, and in small patches along it were beautiful winter's orchids. They were her favorite flower above all else, and these seemed to have bloomed very recently. She giggled with delight, her first true moment of happiness since all the trouble in her life had begun. She crossed the clearing towards the river, where she took her time happily gathering the flowers. As she worked it grew warm under her cloak, and she stood, intending to shed the cumbersome thing.

As she stood, however, a sudden gust of wind blew the small pile of flowers across the meadow. With a small cry of alarm, she dashed after them, chasing them as far as the edge of the clearing, before finally gathering the last one. In contentment, she peeled a thin piece of bark from a tree, and set to twining it around the bunch of flowers, before gathering more to add to the collection.

She was blissfully unaware as the wind picked up, and thick flurries began falling from the sky.

* * *

><p>He shoved the heavy door open, allowing Akamaru to escape from the confines of the carriage.<p>

Stepping down into the snow, he noted that it was good deal colder than it had been less than an hour ago.

"Oy! Have any of you seen Hinata? She should've been back like, ten minutes ago." He called to men working. When none of them responded positively, he huffed, and lifted his nose to the air.

"Damn wind. I can't smell anything. What about you, boy?" he asked the dog, who in response nosed the air as well. When Akamaru whined, Kiba grunted softly.

"Guess we're gonna have to do this the hard way, huh?" he said, drawing his coat a little closer, and looking towards the tiny foot prints that showed Hinata's trail .Her cloak swept the ground though, which made finding precisely where she had stepped hard to find.

And dammit all, but the snow seemed to be thickening.

* * *

><p>She couldn't see anything.<p>

It was so much colder than before.

The snow was so very much thicker.

She clutched the bundle of flowers to her chest, wishing that she had worn her gloves.

She turned in what she thought was right direction, but another hard burst of wind whipped the hood from her head, and her hair went streaming behind her. Each snowflake felt like a tiny knife stabbing her cheek. She walked forward, and tried to call out, but her throat constricted with the effort.

She began to run blindly, all the while holding onto her precious orchids, trying to simply fight her way through what was quickly becoming a blizzard.

* * *

><p>He couldn't recall the last time this much excitement had filled him so completely. His team galloped through the storm, the only ones able to see within a five mile radius. His vision was still crystal clear, and he could see her standing through the trees up ahead, trying to fight her way back to that idiot man she was engaged to.<p>

The one time in his life he had been thankful for Naruto and his big mouth was throughout the planning of this whole entire thing. No one else would have been able to help him put everything together so quickly.

She was fighting very hard against the snow, and without much effort on his part, he calmed the area surrounding her.

The moment of truth had finally arrived.

* * *

><p>In a matter of seconds, the wind and snow and ice stopped flying at her furiously. Everything just stopped.<p>

She would have been tempted to cry if she didn't feel so shaken up. She readjusted her hood, and then turned around, trying to see where she had come from.

It was hopeless.

When she turned back around, she encountered the most frightening sight of her life.

Racing towards her at impossible speeds were six monstrous creatures, pulling a black chariot. In the chariot was a hulking figure, dressed in all black, a black cape whipping the trees behind him. It seemed as If the forest itself was willing to part for the hellions.

As they drew nearer and nearer, she could see the storm raging behind the figure, and smell what must have been the creatures' breath.

When they were within touching distance, a scream finally tore itself from her throat, before she passed out.

Her final thought before blacking out was how similar the man looked to the one in Kiba's tapestry.

* * *

><p>A hair-raising scream ripped from the forest, and Akamaru raise his head and howled.<p>

Kiba growled and dashed towards where he had heard the sound, but it was in vain. The snow was still too thick.

* * *

><p>He had been able to catch her before she even touched the ground, and he cradled her in his arms, and he drove his team downward, back into the underworld.<p>

Her long, deep hair tangled over his arms and spilled down her back, her bluish lips standing out in her pallid little face. Her cheeks were deeply flushed from the cold, and he didn't think he had ever seen such beauty in all his life. In one cold little hand, she clutched a bundle of what he supposed had been flowers, but all but one of the heads had been torn to shreds.

They were orchids.

As the horses descended further, and the deep maw of the earth closed above them, a heavy, resonating happiness resounded throughout him.

And to think, all he had needed to achieve the feeling was a scrap of a woman.

* * *

><p><strong>Whew. <strong>

**That was the big one. For now, any way. :) **

**Tell me, tell me, tell me what you thought! Please please! I love it when you guys give me feedback, it lets me know when I'm doing something right and when I'm doing something wrong! **

**Until next update-muah!**

**Avid. **


	12. Chapter Ten: Waiting

**Hey all! I'm sorry it's been such a long time! Life has been getting kind of crazy! But from here on out, it should be pretty smooth sailing, because I have a couple of chapters written up in advance. I'm gonna shoot for an update every week starting today! So, be on the lookout every Saturday night! Thanks to all of you who reviewed! Just to allay some fears...I have not died. **

**Haha. **

**Now, the usual speech. Review, I love you, it means a lot to me! Seriously! It keeps me alive. Also, expect some out of characterness. As we draw closer to the heart of the story, characters will resume typical characteristics. Hinata will gain her stutter, Sasuke shall become a raging jerk, you know. **

**The good stuff! **

**Now, lovelies, onto...**

**The Orchid's Keeper**

**Main Pairing: ****Sasuke/Hinata**

**Side Parings: ****Onesided Neji/Hinata, Undetermined**

**Rating: ****M, just in case I get a little heavy. ;)**

**Summary:**A dark young man spots a beautiful girl in a field alone, and decides she will be his. However, he soon finds that force may not have been the way to go about things…

* * *

><p>A dull thudding noise seemed to be surrounding her. It took her several long moments to realize that the thudding was inside her head, instead of out. She kept her eyes tightly shut, and didn't move, trying to recall where she was and what had happened. The last thing she remembered was picking flowers….and then that awful storm…and then…..<p>

Nothing.

Despite her eyes being closed, she could feel the darkness around her. Even in the dark witching hours of the night, her bedroom back at the compound always had some sort of soft glow, a flickering candle on its last light, or the moon reflecting off the snow.

She opened her eyes, slowly, and couldn't see anything. A mere inch in front of her wasn't visible. When she tried to move, even a little, it hurt. Everything seemed to be sore, like she had gone through one of Neji's training sessions with him.

She wondered if she was in her new home….in Kiba's home. The thick bed covers certainly felt like velvet. The sheets however weren't satiny like her own, but rather light and thin feeling. She wanted desperately to get up and move around, work out the soreness in her body, but Hinata knew she was clumsy enough in the daylight. She didn't have the desire to go gallivanting about in the dark. She could always activate her bloodline limit, she supposed….but somehow, that felt like an invasion of Kiba's privacy. She was certain that Kiba wouldn't want her peering into his family's life uninvited and unannounced.

So, she decided that she would simply lie there, until someone came along to get her.

She hoped they hurried….she really needed to relieve herself….

* * *

><p>The compound was as silent as a boneyard. Not a bird flew through the trees, and a single snowflake didn't dare to fall.<p>

Hiashi sat in his private study his head resting heavily in his hands.

Being the clan head had a habit of making his head throb. But at the moment, his headache was far from the most important thing he was mulling over.

He couldn't shake the feeling that something was….wrong.

He chalked it up to his daughter's leaving. He felt as if he had sold her. Neji, of course, was furious, but that all had to do with his romantic interest in Hinata. The rhythm throughout the compound seemed a little different. He knew however, that everyone would see her again at the wedding in Konoha, in just two short weeks.

Those two "short" weeks were going to be the longest weeks of his life, he already knew. Neji had been stormily silent, refusing to speak to anyone, and nearly landing himself in trouble with one of the elders. His stubborn nephew had refused to show the proper respects to those stationed above him, and had Hiashi not intervened, he was certain the young man would have been punished.

Severely.

With a heavy sigh, he pushed away from his desk, and moved to the large wall of scrolls behind him. Some were well used, cracking and yellowed with age and many years of being unrolled, and then curling back up. Most, however, were covered very lightly with a powdery layer of dust. The maids were never allowed in to clean the clan leader's study, and it wasn't as if Hiashi were going to dust the scrolls himself.

However, of all the compartments, dusty or well-worn, filled to the brim or nearly empty, one stood out. Freshly polished, with a single, crisp white parchment scroll lying in the center of the otherwise empty cubby.

It was the marriage contract.

He moved to take it in his hands, re-read it, perhaps see if there were any loopholes, or a way out of the agreement, perhaps something he had missed, something to ease his only daughter's way, and, more importantly, ease his guilt….

"Uncle!" the screen door banged against its frame as Neji flung it open and burst into the room. Hiashi withdrew his hand from the shelf, and smoothed his features.

"What is the matter, Nephew? You know you cannot forgo all formalities, even with me."

"Uncle…Hinata-sama….she….she's missing."

* * *

><p>It seemed like she had been asleep for an eternity. He knew it couldn't have been more than a few hours, but he was growing restless. When he had returned, Naruto had been lying in wait, eager to know if everything had gone as planned.<p>

"Oi, teme! How'd it all go?" he shouted happily, as Sasuke reined in the horses tightly.

"Shut up, idiot. She's sleeping."

"She looks more like she's unconscious than asleep, Sasuke-teme."

"Didn't I tell you to be quiet?" Sasuke snapped, and tossed him the reins. "Take care of the beasts."

Hinata rested against his shoulder now, her heavy hood pulled over her head to shield her from the extreme weather change. It may have been hot in Hell, but it had been freezing on the earth.

Naruto stalked off, muttering to himself about bastards and servants.

Sasuke removed his helm and shook out his hair, glad to be rid of the oppressive thing. He carefully gathered her in his arms. She was damp from the fast-melting snow on her cape, and ice crystals clung wetly to her thick fringe of lashes, melting and dripping down her cheeks like tears. Her pale face looked to be made of wax, and his heart sank strangely into his chest at how cold she was.

What if it had been too much stress on her?

What if she had…

He shook the thought off immediately. Had she…passed…he would have known instantly. He felt certain of that.

She felt light in his arms, like a child's doll, a mere plaything. He left the stable gates and stalked through the yard into the dimly lit castle. He was glad to be separated from the rest of the underworld, and glad too that most of his staff had been dismissed to other duties. Only his heavy footfalls echoed on the stone floors and across the walls.

Hinata never moved a muscle, and again he felt a slight prick of fear in his heart.

Gone suddenly was the cold and harsh Lord of the Underworld, and in his place a smitten young man, worried for the woman of his affections.

He pushed open the doors to his chambers, pleased to see the maid had tended to her job….for once. He bypassed his favorite chaise in favor of the large blackwood bed, set on a dais on the far side of the room.

Carefully, as if she was made of porcelain, he laid her on the bed. The grey cotton sheets were cool to the touch, perfectly in contrast with the heavy black velvet throw. Taking care not to touch her bare skin, he undid the pearly clasp at her throat, and the cloak fell away. Beneath it, she seemed even smaller if possible, clad only in a woolen kimono, simple in design, made for warmth, and not fashion. Her long locks curled slightly around her face, and her cheeks had already begun to color once more. Still, her body was cold, and he covered with the lightest of touches.

Afterwards, he had summoned guards, given them their orders, and tossed the cloak to some poor maid with orders to clean it.

When he arrived in his study, he found that the flowers the girl had clutched on his desk, in a slender vase filled with water.

They must have had fallen from her hands in her state of…sleep.

He had leaned over, and breathed in the scent, sniffing flowers for the first time since his childhood so long ago.

It reminded him of the girl…and of his mother.

He wasn't sure he liked it.

And now he paced.

Wondering how long a woman possibly needed to sleep.

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><p><strong>There you are! I know, it's a little short for such a long wait...I'm sorry...<strong>

**Also, just a little sidenote...in these next few chapters, you may notice a Beauty and the Beast-y tendency creeps up. I just find that the two stories compliment each other quite well, and the story will flow better if I sort of marry the two. **

**I love you all dearly!**

**Review for me please, please, please, please, please, please. **

**Please.**

**:)**

**Avid. **


	13. Chapter Eleven: Missing

**Hey guys! I know, I know, more than the normal apologies are in order...I am so sorry! But, no excuses, just a new chapter! This is not, I promise, a filler chapter. It was necessary for the setup of the next chapter. The story is starting to slow down a bit now, things are going to start filling out, and the next chapter will be full of conflicts and excitement, I promise. So, for now, read, review, and enjoy the newest chapter of...**

**The Orchid's Keeper**

**Main Pairing: ****Sasuke/Hinata**

**Side Parings: ****Onesided Neji/Hinata, Undetermined**

**Rating: ****M, just in case I get a little heavy. ;)**

**Summary:**A dark young man spots a beautiful girl in a field alone, and decides she will be his. However, he soon finds that force may not have been the way to go about things…

* * *

><p>The whole compound was in a fit. People were gathered, talking both quietly and loudly about the events, wondering what had become of their beloved heiress. What's more, a whisper of rebellion against the village had gone out, and not all of the elders were afraid to have their voices heard.<p>

One of the elder women, one of the few who had thought it best to slow the marriage preparations, was arguing wholeheartedly against the dog lord.

"We entrusted this…this _mongrel_ with our one and only heiress, and in the span of less than a day he manages to lose her?! What could the Hokage have possibly been thinking?" she demanded, her voice cutting through everyone else's.

A commotion ensued, in which Hiashi attempted to gain control.

"Please, everyone…I need….silence…..SILENCE!"

His voice came out as a roar, and a hush fell over the full to occupancy room.

"I think you are all _missing_ the point." His voice was now a poisonous breath, and fear whispered through everybody's mind. "My daughter….your heiress….is gone." He stood from his place at the head of table, and slammed his fists on the table.

"It does not matter whose fault it is that she is gone. What matters is that she _is_ gone. Pointing fingers will do absolutely no good. We need to organize search parties. I trust you can place yourself into teams of ten. I want each team headed by a guardsman. Now, instead of standing around and talking about it, GET UP AND DO SOMETHING!" he thundered over them. When everyone continued to stare at him, slightly slack-jawed, it took every ounce of his fast waning self-control not to toss the table across the room.

"NOW! GO NOW!" he shouted furiously. Very few of the Hyuuga had ever heard Hiashi raise his voice, and the scramble for the door was a mad rush of people. When the last elder had stalked out, huffily, Hiashi sank back to his seat. He rested his head heavily in his hands, something that seemed to be a habit of late, and fought for control over his emotions. Yelling had been enough. He didn't need to break down in front of the clan as well.

'_Wherever you are, please my child, for my sake, and the sake of everyone else, be safe.' _

* * *

><p>He was beyond furious.<p>

He had known from the second he had seen the filthy mutt that he would bring nothing but trouble. Not for the first time in his life, Neji had been correct. This time, however, he did not want to gloat. How bitterly he instead wished he had been wrong.

Aside from his white-hot anger, Neji was also filled with sorrow. He could recall only one other instance in his nineteen years of life when he had been sorrowful.

Hyuugas didn't get emotional. They were supposed to be cold, unfeeling, and stony-faced.

But, that had never been true for him where she was concerned. She had melted his defenses the very first time they had met, the first time she had been his comforter.

The only other time he had allowed himself to feel sorrow.

_The sky was crying. _

_That had been his first thought when he had woken up. He had spent the night on the floor in his father's room lying there, tearless and silent, and it seemed only fit that the world should mourn for him. As he sat up, his head began to throb, and with every shooting pain, remembrance filled him. _

"_Neji…your father…I…I'm so sorry." His uncle had choked out. It had been the only time Neji had ever seen his uncle become emotional. _

"_I don't understand, Uncle. What has happened to my father?" he had asked, his voice small and scared. _

"_There was an accident on the mission. Enemy ninja attacked the party. Three team members managed to escape with the person they were protecting, but…your father and Mitsu-san were not as lucky. I have been informed that upon capture, they realized that their situation was hopeless…and to protect the family they…they…" his uncle was unable to continue, his throat constricted with emotion. _

_But even at the tender age of six, Neji was incredibly perceptive. He was easily able to connect the dots of the heavy silence hanging over the normally bustling compound, and his uncle's distress. Had his mother been alive, she would have likely been the one to do this, but she had been gone since Neji's birth. _

"_My father…isn't coming back, is he?" he asked, trying hard not to become upset. _

"_No, nephew. And I am deeply sorry." His uncle replied, the sorrow nearly gone from his voice. He was regaining his composure, although it was a struggle. "You are excused from your normal duties until further notice. There will be a service. You may attend if you like, but do not feel as if you have to. A man has the right to mourn in private." These last words had been spoken with a feeling of knowing…of understanding. _

_Neji had been dismissed, and had made his way slowly to his father's room, where he hadn't shed a tear. Suddenly though, it was harder to control. It didn't seem fair to him, that he should lose both parents. He had never even known his mother; his father had been all he had ever had. _

_And now he was gone too._

_He sat, his back against a wall, eyes squeezed shut, trying to stop the tears that were very stubbornly leaking through. He barely heard the door open, and the creak of floorboards didn't register either. He felt someone beside him, but couldn't muster the energy to move. _

"_Go away." He had whispered pitifully, not opening his eyes. If he opened them, he knew the tears would come, whether he wanted them to or not. _

_Instead of doing as he had bid, the person moved closer. _

"_Neji-san." The voice was sweet and light. "Neji-san, please open your eyes." The little voice begged, and almost against his own will, he did. _

_She had been lovely even at five years old. A little thing, her overly large eyes brimming with intelligence beyond her age, her short dark hair curling around her moon-pale face, her mouth usually brightly smiling. _

_He had been afraid that she would be like everyone else. The pity in everyone's eyes had nearly scorched him to the bone, and he couldn't stand one more gaze like that._

_But hers had been different. _

_She didn't look at him in that way though. Her eyes held only love…and understanding. Suddenly, she leaned forward, and embraced him tightly. They had never spoken before, never met formally, he knew only that one day, when they were older, it would be his job to protect her. _

"_Neji-san," she said to him softly, her voice soothing and soft, "I know it hurts really bad right now. And it may hurt really bad for a long time. But it gets better." _

Her words had been the comfort he had needed. They hadn't been profound, or wildly insightful. But they had been truthful, honest, and most importantly, she had spoken from experience. She had lost her own mother earlier that year, and he knew that her sadness had been the same her uncle had spoken from. She had held him in her little arms, barely long enough to go around him as slight has he had been, and the tears had come. He hadn't bothered to stop them, and had cried himself to exhaustion. She stayed with him the whole time, showing grace and understanding beyond the capabilities of a normal five year old girl.

He had decided to go to the service after all, and had clung to her hand throughout the ceremony . Afterwards, when everyone was paying him their respects, she had never left his side, and at the end of the day, he had made up his mind about her.

Protecting her would no longer be just a duty. When the time came, he would protect her out of love, and honor, because she had stayed with him, and mourned with him, and made him feel better. From that day forward, they had been constant companions, never apart if he could help it.

They had grown up together, and after some time, the feeling of friendship had faded, replaced by longing, and eventually love.

And now, he had failed her. She had been gone from his protection for less than twenty four hours, it hadn't even been a damn _day_, and she was in trouble.

He picked up the closest object and hurled it across the room. The vase hit the wall and shattered into a million pieces, showering across the floor and a sizeable dent marred the once smooth surface.

This time, he would not cry.

This time, he would do something about it.

* * *

><p><strong>Once again, I'm sorry it's so late! With any hope, the next chapter will be up MUCH sooner. And, I'm not sure if any of you noticed, but yesterday was the one-year anniversary of my story! I can't believe it's been a year already, although I'm sure it seemed much longer to all of you! But, I hope you enjoyed it, and don't give up on me yet, because the story WILL be finished, one way or another! Much love!<strong>

**Avid.**


	14. Chapter Twelve: Awake

**I'm back! As long as I can keep the flow going, the chapters will keep coming! I know the last one may not have been as action-packed as you might have hoped, and all I can say is that this is the progression of the story for now. I promise, it'll pick up speed again after this chapter. ****For now, enjoy...**

**The Orchid's Keeper**

**Main Pairing: ****Sasuke/Hinata**

**Side Parings: ****Onesided Neji/Hinata, Undetermined**

**Rating: ****M, just in case I get a little heavy. ;)**

**Summary:**A dark young man spots a beautiful girl in a field alone, and decides she will be his. However, he soon finds that force may not have been the way to go about things…

* * *

><p>In the half hour she had been lying in the darkness, Hinata had become two things. The first was that she uncomfortably hot. This was very quickly becoming a nuisance she was used to. In the last two weeks Hinata had been forced to be hot in order to look "appropriate". Now, she was forced to deal with the uncomfortable temperature because no one had seen fit to come get her.<p>

The second thing was very unusual to her character.

Hinata Hyuuga was in a bad temper.

She was hot, tired, and sore, her head felt as if it was splitting apart, it was dark, she didn't really know where she was, she didn't know how long she had been asleep, and what's more, it didn't seem anyone was bothered to come and help her with any of her issues.

Naturally, Hinata in a bad temper was much different than most people in a bad temper. She was by no means about to stomp out this room, wherever it was, and demand that someone assist her.

That would just be undignified and rude.

Instead, she decided that she would help herself out of the large (and now broiling) chamber, and find someone to politely ask for help. Then, with any luck, she would be able to change her awful kimono for something much more comfortable, and maybe find someone to help soothe her headache.

She sat up and regretted it almost instantly. Her head began to swim, and she felt her grip on consciousness loosen considerably. She clamped her eyes shut, and willed the pain away. After a few excruitiating moments, the pain dulled slightly and she felt safe to try and move again.

Moving slowly this time, she pushed the bedding away from her body, expecting to feel some sort of temperature relief. Instead, the room seemed suddenly hotter, if at all possible.

She felt he area surrounding her, sliding her hand over the crisp sheets, and found the edge of the bed. Even without seeing it, she knew it was easily the biggest bed she had ever encountered. As gently as she could she positioned herself to get out of the bed, wincing when the motion caused her head to throb.

_I can do this. It's not that bad. Just deal with it for now, and someone can help you later._

With her own words of encouragement ringing in her head, she was able to move a little faster. When she was finally able to untangle herself from the cumbersome layers of her robing mixed with the sheets and coverlet, she touched her feet to the floor.

She was surprised to find it was stone. Hinata had always believed that everyone of higher…financial standing would have things like wooden flooring in their home. It wasn't a thought of snobbery, merely one of surprise. Another strange thing was that the floor was warm. Unreasonably warm for a stone floor. And it almost seemed to be…rumbling…

_Cold. Piercing cold. And she couldn't see. What was that noise?_

She shook of the strange thought that had seemingly come out of nowhere. Focusing again on moving as gently as possible, she stood. Aside from a wave of slight nausea and lightheadedness, she felt okay,

_Maybe this won't be so bad after all._

After another hesitant step, she felt much more confident. Wherever she was, the room seemed to be large, and without strange furniture layout. No random couches or rugs for her to trip over.

So far, so good.

Taking another step, she was met with the strange warm stone. With more confidence she made her stride a bit bigger...and proceeded to tumble off the dais the bed was perched on. An indignant squeak breathed from her lips before she could so much as think to stop it.

Had the lights been on, and her head not already thundering with pain, the situation would have been comical. Instead, she was engulfed by darkness, in a strange place with no family members, burdened by ridiculous clothing, and with that _damnable_ headache.

Just as she had convinced herself to get up and try again, the doors to the room slammed open, and the chamber was filled with a blinding light.

* * *

><p>He had been running for half the day. On paper Konoha didn't seem very far away. On foot, it was a different story.<p>

But it didn't matter. His energy seemed endless that day. He was going to find that shit-eating dog and he was going to make sure that he felt just as much pain as Neji was feeling.

Only his would be physical.

The bastard hadn't even bothered to come and tell the news himself. Instead, he had sent some brainless lackey in his place, who had barely been able to stammer the news before fainting.

_Spineless, the whole lot of them._

The thought spurred him on as he leapt branch to branch. He didn't feel the bitter cold whipping against his bare limbs. He had rushed from the compound in such a hurry that he hadn't even bothered to scribble a note. He had barked a cryptic message at one of the guards at the gate before barreling through them.

He hesitated, swinging one long limb up to catch a branch and steady himself. There it was.

The village hidden in the leaves.

It was probably a damn good thing they hid it too, because he surely couldn't be the first person furious at someone within its gates. Hopping down from the trees to the path, he bolted the rest of the way to the village.

There was hell to pay, and someone was going to be on the receiving end of his anger.

* * *

><p>He had been right in the middle of creating a groove in the floor when someone barged through his door.<p>

"Master-"

In a second, the offending imp was slammed up against the craggy rock wall, Sasuke's pale hand clinched around its bony neck. His crimson eyes bored into the pathetic being's and his voice was heavy with venom.

"Didn't I tell _everyone_ not to find me unless he awakened?" he hissed.

"But sir sh-"The grip constricted and the imp's words were cut off with a wheezing gasp.

"_DIDN'T I TELL EVERYONE?" _He shouted, and throttled the poor little man-creature.

He clawed desperately at Sasuke's hands, and he barely managed to suck in enough breath to choke out his next sentence.

"But master, she IS awake."

Suddenly, the rage cooled into a mask of indifference, and Sasuke tossed the guard to the floor. Adjusting his robes, and walking to the door, he asked the pitiful thing a question over his shoulder.

"Why didn't you just say so?"

On the floor, the imp struggled for breath, hands resting heavily on his mottled throat while he writhed in pain.

* * *

><p><strong>There it is. Maybe, once more, not as action-y as some may have hoped, but good things come to those who wait. ;P<strong>

**Hopefully you all find this more suitable than my last chapter! I plan on updating again before the weekend is over! I love you all and every response I get, whether it's just a favorite or a review. Until next time!**

**Avid. **


	15. Update 2!

Hello Lovelies! I am pleased to announce that after a _very_ long absence I am back, and, fingers crossed, better than ever! I am also happy to inform you that this story WILL be brought back, and a re-write is in progress. So, be on the lookout for that, as well as a new piece I'm working on. I look forward to hearing from you soon and happily, for you to be hearing from me.

Love,

Avid.


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